[  Whole  Number  246. 


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UNITED  STATES  BUREAU  OF  EDUCATION. 

REPRINT  OF  CHAPTER  XXXV  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER 
OF  EDUCATION  FOR  1896-97,  WITH  INTRODUCTORY  STATEMENT 


BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


v  VP 


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(yfj  C/f  /  /*  \  > 

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FEB  7  1 


fa  r  ? 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA 


189  6-97. 


SHELDON  JACKSON,  LX  .  D„ 

GENERAL  AGENT. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

18  9  8. 


[  Whole  Number  246. 


,  '-v 


UNITED  STATES  BUREAU  OF  EDUCATION. 

REPRINT  OF  CHAPTER  XXXV  OF  THE  REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER 
OF  EDUCATION  FOR  1896-97,  WITH  INTRODUCTORY  STATEMENT 
BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA 

18  9  6-9  7. 


SHELDON  JACKSON,  LL.  D„ 


GENERAL  AGENT. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1898. 


FROM  THE 


INTRODUCTORY  STATEMENT 

OF  THE 

COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION 

FOR  THE 

REPORT  OP  1896-97. 


Education  in  Alaska. — During  tlie  past  two  years  by  reason  of  the 
numerous  discoveries  of  gold  in  Alaska  that  Territory  lias  become  an 
object  of  great  interest.  A  school  established  at  Circle  City,  on  the 
upper  Yukon,  near  the  boundary  between  United  States  and  British 
America,  had  a  successful  session  during  its  first  year,  but  on  account 
of  the  removal  of  the  inhabitants  from  Circle  City  to  the  region  of  the 
Klondike  has  lost  nearly  all  of  its  pupils  and  lias  been  closed  for  the 
present  year.  Large  numbers  of  immigrants  collected  with  their  fami¬ 
lies  at  Dyea  and  Skagway  seemed  to  demand  accommodations  for  their 
children  in  school,  but  the  present  state  of  rapid  change,  not  only  of 
routes  but  of  mining  localities  at  the  ends  of  those  routes,  makes  it 
uncertain  whether  a  school  established  for  the  children  of  the  families 
of  miners  could  have  a  longer  term  of  existence  than  the  one  at  Circle 
City,  which  seemed  two  years  ago  likely  to  become  a  permanent  cen¬ 
ter  for  mining  operations. 

The  missionaries  representing  the  great  bodies  of  Christian  faith 
have  thus  far  selected  what  may  be  called  the  strategical  points  for 
influence  upon  the  native  population  of  Alaska. 

From  the  beginning,  in  1885-86  on  to  1893-94,  it  had  been  the  policy 
of  the  Bureau  of  Education  to  subsidize  mission  schools  in  all  places 
where  it  was  not  possible  to  establish  Government  day  schools.  The 
population  of  Indian  villages  is  more  or  less  nomadic,  summering  in 
camps  on  the  seas  and  rivers  at  good  fishing  places,  and  wintering  in 
their  villages,  located  in  more  sheltered  situations.  The  arrival  of 
white  immigrants  has  given  a  fixed  character  to  these  villages,  in  the 
southeast  part  of  Alaska  especially.  In  the  southeastern  region,  in 
the  presence  of  a  larger  or  smaller  contingent  of  white  population,  it 
lias  been  found  possible  to  establish  Government  schools  and  organize 
local  school  committees  to  siRiervise  them.  But  in  northern  and  west¬ 
ern  Alaska,  villages  with  a  nucleus  of  white  population  are  not  to 
be  found,  except  at  the  ports  of  Unalaska  and  St.  Michael;  and  in 
order  to  reach  the  natives  successfully,  it  is  necessary  to  avail  one’s 
self  of  the  mission  stations,  3  of  which  are  located  on  the  Arctic 
Ocean,  9  on  the  Bering  Sea,  and  7  in  the  river  valley  of  the  Yukon, 
xxxvi 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


XXXVII 


making  a  total  of  19  missions  with  61  missionaries.  These  mission 
stations  have  been  located,  in  the  light  of  a  great  deal  of  experience, 
at  sncli  places  as  furnish  natural  centers  for  the  native  population 
and  at  the  same  time  afford  the  best  facilities  for  communication  with 
the  United  States  in  the  short  summer  season.  For  the  long  winter 
season  of  eight  to  nine  months  no  communication  has  been  possible 
hitherto  with  northwestern  Alaska. 

In  subsidizing  the  mission  schools  a  certain  minimum  of  school 
enrollment  lias  been  required,  and  a  certain  sum  per  pupil  allowed, 
not  to  exceed  in  the  aggregate  a  fixed  sum  agreed  upon.  The  example 
of  the  Indian  Bureau  has  been  closely  followed  in  this  matter,  except 
that  where  the  Indian  Bureau  has  allowed  subsidies  of  $167  per  annum 
tliis  Bureau  has  allowed  from  $90  to  $150  per  pupil,  boarded,  clothed, 
and  instructed,  and  $30  for  day  pupils.  The  maximum  amount  paid 
to  contract  schools  appears  in  the  year  1889-90,  when  the  sum  of 
$31, 174. 12  was  paid.  The  largest  item  of  that  year  was  paid  for  indus¬ 
trial  instruction  and  apparatus  necessary  to  facilitate  the  same.  In 
the  year  1892-93  the  action  of  Congress  with  regard  to  the  Indian 
Bureau  in  the  matter  of  contract  schools  was  taken  as  indicating  a 
policy  to  withdraw  appropriations  from  contract  schools,  and  for  that 
reason  the  amount  paid  to  contract  schools  in  that  year  was  reduced 
from  $28,980  to  $17,040 — almost  40  per  cent,  and  in  1893-94  it  was 
further  reduced  to  $8,000.  In  the  year  1894-95  the  subsidizing  of 
contract  schools  was  entirely  discontinued,  but  in  a  few  cases  Govern¬ 
ment  teachers  were  assigned  to  the  mission  stations. 

The  mission  stations  not  only  have  the  advantage  of  being  located 
in  important  centers  of  the  native  population  in  the  north  and  west, 
but  they  bring  with  them  certain  other  advantages  which  the  Govern¬ 
ment  may  use  for  its  purposes  of  instructing  the  natives  in  the  English 
language  and  in  the  arts  of  civilized  life.  In  the  first  place,  the  mis¬ 
sion  station  is  a  very  effective  center  for  the  spread  of  the  use  of  the 
English  language  among  the  natives,  educating  not  only  the  children 
who  come  to  its  schools,  but  also  the  adult  population  attending  its 
religious  services  or  coming  into  any  business  relation  with  it  what¬ 
ever.  I  have  already  mentioned  that  there  are  19  missionary  centers 
and  a  corps  of  61  missionaries  in  northwestern  and  central  Alaska 
extending  daily  this  educational  influence  to  entire  communities  of 
Indians  or  Eskimos. 

In  1885  General  Eaton,  as  Commissioner  of  Education,  secured  the 
services  of  Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson  as  general  agent  for  education  in 
Alaska,  which  had  recently  been  placed  under  the  charge  of  the  Sec¬ 
retary  of  the  Interior.  Dr.  Jackson  had  been  appointed  superintend¬ 
ent  of  home  missions  for  several  States  and  Territories  in  the  North¬ 
west  as  early  as  1869,  and  had  distinguished  himself  by  the  vigor 
with  which  he  extended  the  work  in  the  far  west.  In  1870  he  took 
charge  of  the  work  of  home  missions  in  the  vast  region  from  Mexico 


XXXVIII  REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


to  Canada  and  from  Nevada  to  Nebraska.  In  the  early  days  before 
railroads  had  penetrated  those  regions  he  traveled  on  foot  or  used 
ox  carts  or  mustang  ponies.  In  the  prosecution  of  his  work  he 
traveled  in  thirteen  years  345,027  miles,  or  an  average  of  26,540  miles 
a  year.  lie  established  and  for  ten  years  conducted  the  “Rocky  Moun¬ 
tain  Presbyterian.”  In  1877  he  visited  Alaska  as  the  first  ordained 
missionary  from  the  United  States,  and  in  the  next  eight  years  he  rap¬ 
idly  established  schools  and  churches  in  the  archipelago,  and  com¬ 
menced  the  process  of  civilization  which  has  gone  on  in  Alaska  ever 
since.  In  1880  he  built  the  church  and  founded  the  Industrial  Train¬ 
ing  School  for  native  children  at  Sitka. 

After  his  appointment  as  United  States  agent  his  trips  to  the  north¬ 
west  were  undertaken  for  the  most  part  in  the  Bear ,  a  revenue  cut¬ 
ter  sent  out  annually  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Its  captain 
(M.  A.  Healy)  interested  himself  warmly  in  the  cause  represented  by 
Dr.  Jackson  in  this  region,  and  to  him  is  due  in  a  measure  the  suc¬ 
cess  in  establishing  schools  in  northwest  Alaska.  And  to  him  and 
Dr.  Jackson  is  due  the  original  suggestion  of  the  plan  of  stocking 
the  enormous  moss  fields  of  Alaska  with  herds  of  reindeer  and  the 
training  of  the  natives  into  skilled  herdsmen  and  teamsters. 

It  had  been  obvious,  from  the  beginning  of  the  Government  sub¬ 
sidies  in  1885-86,  that  there  should  be  not  only  education  in  elemen¬ 
tary  English  branches,  but  also  a  training  in  the  employments  of 
civilized  life.  From  the  first,  at  all  the  missions  there  was  instruction 
in  cooking,  housekeeping,  and  clothes  making.  Then  followed  more 
careful  education  in  the  trades  of  carpentering,  blacksmithing,  and 
shoemaking,  subsidizing  for  this  instruction  the  Presbyterian  Indus¬ 
trial  School  at  Sitka.  As  early  as  1891  the  matter  of  the  introduction 
of  reindeer  into  Alaska  had  been  brought  to  my  attention  by  Dr. 
Sheldon  Jackson  and  Captain  Healy,  of  the  United  States  revenue 
cutter  Bear.  Upon  learning  that  tame  reindeer  could  be  obtained 
from  points  in  Siberia  opposite  to  Alaska,  and  that  all  of  Alaska 
(excepting  the  river  valleys  and  places  on  the  coast  covered  with 
forests)  bore  large  quantities  of  the  kind  of  moss  that  furnishes  the 
best  food  for  the  reindeer,  I  became  so  much  interested  in  the  project 
of  introducing  the  reindeer  into  northwestern  Alaska  that  I  urged 
Dr.  Jackson  to  appeal  to  the  friends  of  missionary  education  for  a 
preliminary  sum  to  begin  the  experiment  at  once.  From  the  sum  of 
$2,156  thus  procured  a  first  purchase  of  16  deer  was  made  in  the 
summer  of  1891,  and  a  herd  of  171  in  the  summer  of  1892.  The 
Government  appropriation  of  $6,000  became  available  for  the  sup¬ 
port  of  reindeer  in  the  summer  of  1893,  and  a  further  purchase  of  124 
deer  was  made,  and  for  the  summer  of  1894  a  still  further  pur¬ 
chase  of  123  was  made  out  of  an  appropriation  of  $7,500,  making  -a 
total  of  538  deer  purchased  in  Siberia  and  placed  in  a  Government 
herd  near  Port  Clarence.  The  16  deer  purchased  in  1891  have  been 


Reindeer  Rider  in  Eastern  Siberia. 
By  W.  H.  Jackson. 


<  • 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Alaska  Library  Network 


https://archive.org/details/educationinalask1896unse 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


XXXIX 


allowed  to  run  wild  on  one  of  the  eastern  Aleutian  Islands,  and  since 
then  have  in  a  measure  stocked  that  island  with  reindeer.  From  this 
original  herd  of  538  reindeer  a  total  number  of  1,323  fawns  have  been 
born,  making  an  aggregate  of  1,861,  of  which  395  have  been  lost, 
injured,  or  killed  in  various  ways  during  the  five  years,  leaving  1,466 
reindeer  in  the  herds  August,  1897. 

A  plan  lias  been  gradually  matured  for  the  use  of  these  reindeer  in 
the  scheme  of  education.  Two  objects  are  to  be  secured:  (1)  The 
training  of  the  natives  as  herders  and  as  teamsters.  This  implies 
that  the  natives  must  be  interested  in  the  x^roject;  they  must  take  the 
long  step  from  nomadic  fishermen  and  hunters  to  dwellers  in  villages, 
with  permanent  employments  that  will  supxiort  them  and  also  ren¬ 
der  them  useful  to  a  white  population  which  will  eventually  come 
to  central  and  northwestern  Alaska.  (2)  The  other  important  object 
to  be  gained  is  the  education  of  these  natives  in  thrift,  so  that  they 
will  preserve  and  accumulate  the  reindeer  intrusted  to  them. 

At  each  mission  station  there  is  constantly  going  on  a  ijrocess  of 
selecting  the  trustworthy  natives — those  ambitious  to  learn  the  civili¬ 
zation  of  the  white  men,  those  ambitious  to  hold  and  increase  prop¬ 
erty.  Reindeer  intrusted  to  the  ordinary  individual  savage  would 
disappear  within  twelve  months  after  the  gift. 

At  the  reindeer  station  a  number  of  ax>prentiees  have  been  selected 
and  rewards  for  intelligent  and  rmusevering  industry  offered.  They 
were  to  receive  two  reindeer  for  the  first  year’s  axiprenticesliip;  at 
the  end  of  the  second  year  five  more,  in  such  a  way  as  to  gradually 
develox>  the  sense  of  individual  ownership  of  property — a  sense  which 
has  never  been  developed  in  the  tribal  relation. 

[From  letter  of  instruction  by  Dr.  Jackson  to  the  superintendent  of  the  reindeer  herd.] 

Port  Clarence, 

United  States  Revenue-Marine  Steamer  Bear, 

July  4,  1893. 

Sir:  *  *  *  The  herders  are  to  be  fed  and  clothed  and  housed,  also  furnished 
with  tobacco  or  its  equivalent,  at  Government  expense.  The  Siberian  herders  and 
the  experienced  Eskimo,  each  one  will  receive,  in  addition  to  the  above,  §50  worth 
of  barter  goods  at  the  end  of  the  year  and  the  inexperienced  ones  §30  worth.  If 
they  prefer  it  they  can  be  paid  a  portion  of  the  above  from  time  to  time  as  they 
may  need  it,  only  that  at  the  end  of  the  year  the  amount  received  shall  not  exceed 
the  total  amount  allowed. 

When  food  is  xfienty  and  cheap  you  will  purchase  with  the  supplies  at  the  station 
such  oil,  meat,  dried  fish,  skins,  etc.,  as  are  needed  at  the  station.  You  are  also 
authorized  to  purchase  wood  from  the  natives. 

In  addition  to  the  paid  herders,  it  is  desired  that  you  take  into  the  station  a 
number  of  wide-awake  young  men  to  learn  the  management  of  deer.  They  will 
be  fed,  clothed,  and  housed  at  Government  expense.  If  they  have  been  faithful 
to  their  duties  and  have  shown  aptitude  in  learning  for  one  full  year  at  the  stat  on 
you  are  authorized  to  allow  them  two  deer,  which  can  be  marked  with  their  brand, 
but  must  be  continued  in  the  general  herd.  At  the  end  of  the  second  year  you 
can  give  them  five  more.  I  think  it  will  be  well  to  encourage  them  to  remain  with 


XL 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


the  herd,  for  three  or  four  years,  when  they  will  have  sufficient  deer,  so  that  two 
or  three  of  the  herders,  by  combining  their  holdings,  can  start  a  new  herd. 

If,  after  a  fair  trial  of  a  few  months,  a  young  man  is  lazy,  indifferent,  or  dull, 
you  had  better  send  him  away  from  the  station  and  give  his  place  to  a  more  prom¬ 
ising  one.  There  is  a  constant  sifting  process  going  on  among  white  men,  and  the 
same  process  is  equally  needful  among  the  natives. 

I  would  like  the  first  herders  especially  to  be  picked  men — the  ablest  and  best 
among  their  people — as  that  class  will  alone  secure  the  best  results  from  the  intro¬ 
duction  of  the  deer. 

Under  the  regulations  established  9  apprentices  have  received  rein¬ 
deer — from  2  to  7  each.  The  total  number  of  reindeer  originally 
assigned  to  them  being  52,  the  same  had  increased  last  August  by  the 
birth  of  fawns  to  133. 

From  the  beginning,  schoolbooks  and  apparatus  have  been  fur¬ 
nished  for  the  schools  in  Alaska.  Reindeer  are  the  schoolbooks  and 
apparatus  necessary  for  the  education  of  the  western  and  northern 
natives.  To  secure  the  chief  object  aimed  at  in  the  importation  of 
reindeer  from  Siberia,  it  is  evident  that  the  reindeer  must  eventually 
come  into  the  hands  of  thrifty  persons  among  the  natives,  who  will 
preserve  the  herds,  increase  them,  break  them  to  harness,  and  make 
them  available,  under  the  management  of  trained  teamsters,  for  the 
use  of  white  immigrants  who  settle  in  Alaska.  The  missionary  sta¬ 
tions  furnish  the  only  safe  centers  for  the  location  of  herds  and  the 
establishment  of  schools  of  instruction  in  the  rearing  of  the  reindeer 
and  in  the  training  of  them  to  harness. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  missions  ascertain  the  capable  and 
teachable  youth  among  the  natives.  They  are  able  at  any  time  to 
furnish  a  list  of  the  natives  in  their  vicinities  noted  for  good  charac¬ 
ter.  At  each  of  these  stations  20  or  30  youth,  selected  from  a  village 
population  of  300  or  more,  can  be  put  in  training  as  herdsmen  and 
teamsters.  Uo  matter  how  large  the  Government  appropriation 
should  be,,  therefore,  it  would  be  necessary  to  connect  the  reindeer 
instruction  and  the  establishment  of  permanent  herds  in  northwest 
Alaska  with  these  missionary  stations. 

The  small  herds  loaned  to  each  missionary  station  as  a  Govern¬ 
ment  aid  are  in  the  nature  of  an  outfit  of  industrial  apparatus.  The 
report  of  the  Indian  Bureau  shows  that  the  United  States  Govern¬ 
ment  furnished  10,000  head  of  stock  for  the  period  of  1890-96  for  one 
Indian  agency  (the  Blackfeet),  and  that  seeds,  implements,  stock, 
wagons,  harness,  in  large  amounts,  have  been  furnished  to  other 
agencies.  These  donations  are  certainly  more  justifiable  than  dona¬ 
tions  made  to  prevent  the  savage  peoples  from  starving,  for  they  are 
given  in  the  form  of  apparatus  for  the  instruction  of  these  peoples 
in  the  industrial  arts  and  in  the  practice  of  thrift.  All  these  things 
prevent  starvation.  Just  as  in  the  agricultural  colleges  of  the  sev¬ 
eral  States  the  Government  money  is  used  to  pay  for  the  stock  of  the 
model  farm,  which  is  used  as  the  apparatus  for  the  instruction  of  the 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


XLI 


pupils,  so  the  reindeer  herd  is  used  as  apparatus  loaned  to  the  mis¬ 
sionary  stations  for  The  purpose  of  instruction  of  the  natives.  But 
from  three  to  five  years’  apprenticeship  is  needed  for  the  full  training 
of  apprentices  in  the  management  of  reindeer. 

Persons  who  have  been  brought  up  to  the  care  of  neat  cattle  and 
horses,  or  sheep  only,  have  not  thereby  acquired  the  art  of  managing 
reindeer,  for  this  requires  special  apprenticeship.  With  the  first 
herd  (that  of  1892)  Siberian  herdsmen  were  procured  to  give  instruc¬ 
tion  in  these  arts,  but  the  degree  of  success  was  so  small  that  in  1894 
five  families  of  Laplanders  were  obtained  to  take  their  place.  The 
Laplanders,  being  a  civilized  people  and  devoid  of  the  superstitions 
which  embarrass  the  Siberian  natives,  have  attained  a  higher  degree 
of  skill  in  the  management  of  this  animal,  and  also  show  greater 
ability  in  teaching  others  what  they  know.  After  obtaining  the  rein¬ 
deer,  therefore,  the  next  important  matter  is  the  procurement  of 
skilled  herdsmen  and  teamsters  from  Norway  and  Sweden.  It  is 
of  little  use  to  give  a  herd  of  reindeer  to  a  missionary  station  unless 
a  skilled  teacher  goes  with  it. 

The  furnishing  of  the  properly  trained  Laplander  is  one  of  the 
chief  items  of  expense  in  the  introduction  of  reindeer  into  northwest¬ 
ern  Alaska.  A  salary  of  $200  to  $500  a  year  is  necessary  for  each,  and 
the  distribution  of  the  herd  at  the  different  points  on  the  seacoast  and 
in  the  interior  is  possible  only  in  so  far  as  the  Government  is  able  to 
send  these  experienced  herdsmen  and  teamsters.  In  the  course  of 
eight  or  ten  years  there  will  grow  up  a  supply  of  thoroughly  educated 
natives  who  will  render  it  unnecessary  to  depend  any  longer  upon 
Lapland  and  Finland  for  teachers.  But  it  is  hoped  in  the  meanwhile 
that  there  will  be  some  migration  from  Scandinavia  of  families  of 
herdsmen  and  teamsters. 

Thus  far  the  original  plan  of  distributing  small  herds  to  the  mission¬ 
ary  stations  and  furnishing  teachers  to  care  for  the  herds  has  been 
put  info  operation  in  only  four  instances.  To  the  missionary  station 
at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  nearest  to  the  Teller  Station  at  Port  Clar¬ 
ence,  118  deer  were  furnished  in  August,  1894,  and  Mr.  Lopp,  who  had 
mastered  the  art  of  caring  for  the  reindeer,  having  been  with  our  herd 
from  the  beginning,  was  made  the  Government  teacher  and  paid  a 
salary. 

The  following  year  112  deer  were  loaned  to  the  most  promising 
apprentice,  Anti-sarlook  (called  Charlie),  stationed  at  Cape  Nome. 
In  1896  two  oilier  herds  of  50  each  were  loaned,  respectively,  to  the 
Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  on  Golovin  Bay  and  the  Episcopal  Mis¬ 
sion  at  Fort  Adams,  on  the  middle  Yukon,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Tanana  River.  These  herds  have  been  loaned  on  the  condition  that 
they  are  used  as  apparatus  for  the  instruction  of  natives  in  the  art  of 
herding  deer  and  training  them  to  harness,  and  on  condition  that  after 
three  years  the  Government  may  take  from  the  herd  a  number  of 


XLII 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


deer  in  good  condition  equal  to  the  original  number  furnished,  the 
stations  retaining  the  increase.  And,  pursuing  this  policy,  negotia¬ 
tions  have  been  for  some  time  in  progress  to  loan  herds  on  the  same 
conditions  to  the  Catholic  stations  at  Nulato  and  Ivoserefski  (impor¬ 
tant  places  on  the  Yukon)  and  also  to  the  stations  at  Point  Hope 
(Episcopal)  and  Point  Barrow  (Presbyterian)  on  the  Arctic  Sea;  also 
to  the  Moravian  stations  at  Bethel,  on  the  Ivuskokwim  River,  and 
Carmel,  on  Bristol  Bay,  at  the  entrance  to  the  Bering  Sea  on  the  south. 

In  providing  education  for  Alaska  it  is  important  that  the  centers 
of  industrial  education  shall  coincide  with  the  points  that  have  to  be 
held  in  hand  by  the  Government  for  the  purposes  of  relief  expeditions, 
and  also  with  those  points  from  which  the  mining  and  other  industrial 
interests  of  Alaska  can  be  governed.  To  illustrate  this  I  mention  the 
fact  that  if  the  herds  which  it  is  proposed  to  establish  at  Point  Bar- 
row  and  Point  Hope,  on  the  Arctic  Ocean,  can  by  any  means  be 
increased  to  the  number  of  5,000  deer,  a  number  not  unusual  in  Lap- 
land  as  the  possession  of  a  single  herdsman,  the  annual  increase  of 
such  a  herd  would  amount  to  nearly  2,000  fawns.  It  is  obvious  that 
with  such  resources  at  two  points  on  the  Arctic  there  never  need  be 
any  further  fear  of  starvation  on  the  part  of  the  crews  of  whaling  ves¬ 
sels  detained  by  ice  in  that  region.  A  saving  of  at  least  $50,000  to 
the  Government  would  have  been  effected  during  the  year  1897-98 
had  those  herds  been  in  position.  Again,  had  herds  of  5,000  each 
been  at  the  important  strategical  points  of  Nulato,  on  the  great  bend 
of  the  Yukon,  at  Fort  Adams,  in  the  middle  Yukon,  at  the  mouth  of 
Tanana  River,  or  at  Circle  City,  on  the  upper  Yukon,  the  danger  to 
starving  miners  would  have  been  very  much  reduced,  if  not  entirely 
removed. 

Communication  'with  Alaska. — The  difficulty  met  with  by  all  those 
who  would  visit  Alaska  is  the  impossibility  of  traversing  its  vast 
distances  in  the  winter.  This  is  the  great  obstacle  to  the  miner 
who  wishes  to  have  access  to  the  gold-bearing  regions  and  to  carry 
with  him  all  the  conveniences  for  procuring  comfort  in  the  long  arc¬ 
tic  night.  He  wishes  also  to  be  in  constant  communication  with  the 
friends  he  has  left  behind  him  in  the  States.  This  is  also  the  great 
obstacle  to  the  missionary  who  wishes  to  reach  the  tribes  of  native 
population,  convert  them  to  Christianity  and  lead  them  to  adopt 
the  arts  of  civilized  life. 

Looking  at  the  map  of  Alaska,  one  sees  that  the  great  Yukon  River 
penetrates  the  interior  from  the  west,  forming  a  sort  of  backbone  to 
the  country.  Not  realizing  the  climatic  conditions,  one  would  suppose 
that  steamboats  could  keep  up  for  a  large  portion  of  the  year  a  com¬ 
munication  with  the  upper  branches  of  that  river  situated  in  British 
America  and  in  the  eastern  part  of  Alaska.  When  he  comes  to  learn, 
however,  that  the  Yukon  River  is  closed  by  ice  for  three-fourths  of 
the  year,  lie  looks  southward  for  other  avenues  to  the  interior  and 
first  notices  the  inlets  of  the  Northern  Pacific  between  Sitka  and 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


XLIII 


Unalaska,  namely,  Prince  William  Sound,  Cooks  Inlet,  and  Copper 
River.  But  he  finds  first  high  mountains  and  then  a  vast  table-land 
extending  to  the  north  of  these  places  and  separating  by  a  distance 
of  from  500  to  700  miles  the  mining  regions  of  the  upper  Yukon  from 
the  shipping  ports  on  the  ocean.  These  table-lands  can  not  be  trav¬ 
ersed  in  the  winter  by  horses  or  oxen  and  scarcely  even  by  the  hardy 
species  of  dogs  that  are  used  for  transportation  in  this  region.  When 
one  considers  the  difficulties  of  a  journey  of  500  to  700  miles  through 
a  region  without  settlements  and  without  stores  of  provisions,  one 
looks  for  another  approach  to  the  region,  namely,  to  that  from  the 
southeast.  Bays,  or  rivers  flowing  into  the  archipelago,  at  the  south¬ 
east  will  bring  the  traveler  to  the  foot  of  the  mountains;  then  if  a 
good  pass  may  be  found  that  can  be  used  winter  and  summer,  or  if  its 
difficulties  can  be  overcome  by  means  of  railroads  or  some  method  of 
rapid  transportation,  the  visitor  to  the  interior  may  find  himself  at 
the  head  waters  of  the  Yukon.  In  the  future  of  this  Territory  it  is 
evident  that  settlements  will  be  formed  at  distances  from  100  to 
300  miles  apart  from  the  head  waters  to  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
The  natural  entrance,  therefore,  into  this  region  in  the  winter  time 
would  appear  to  be  the  gateways  at  the  southeast,  at  the  northern 
extremities  of  Lynn  Sound,  or  perhaps  at  Yakutat  Bay.  This  ques¬ 
tion  of  communication  with  Alaska  is  so  important  that  it  deserves  a 
fuller  discussion. 

I.  The  approach  to  Alaska  by  way  of  Bering  Sea  inadequate  for 
purposes  of  the  Government. — Vessels  that  pass  into  Bering  Sea  stop 
at  the  island  of  Unalaska,  where  a  village  of  about  300  people  is  situ¬ 
ated,  which  contains  a  Russian  church  and  a  Methodist  mission.  On 
an  island  in  this  harbor,  too,  the  first  reindeer,  16  in  number,  obtained 
fn  1891  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  the  reindeer  culture  into  the 
schools  of  northwest  Alaska,  were  turned  loose  and  have  increased  to 
a  considerable  herd,  but  are  running  wild  on  the  island. 

It  has  not  been  possible  in  ordinary  winters  to  continue  the  voyage 
beyond  LTnalaska  (which  is  the  eastern  link  of  the  chain  known  as 
the  Aleutian  Islands)  into  the  Bering  Sea  beyond  the  Pribyloff  Islands 
in  winter.  On  one  occasion,  however,  St.  Matthews  Island,  400  miles 
north  of  the  Pribyloff  and  about  200  miles  south  by  west  of  St.  Law¬ 
rence  Island  and  400  miles  from  Bering  Strait,  was  reached,  but  no 
vessels  have  ever  been  able  to  land  at  St.  Michael  or  approach  the 
month  of  the  Yukon  or  any  of  the  bays  north  or  south  of  this  region 
within  a  radius  of  from  50  to  100  miles  from  the  mainland  on  account 
of  the  ice.  The  ice  closes  in  these  ports  as  early  as  November  1,  and 
they  are  not  open  again  until  the  15th  of  June  and  occasionally  (us 
in  1896)  not  until  the  middle  of  July.  These  northwestern  ports  are 
therefore  closed  to  the  Government  and  to  commerce  from  seven  and 
one-half  to  eight  and  one-half  months  in  the  year,  leaving  from  three 
and  one-lialf  to  four  and  one-half  months  for  the  entire  season’s  work 
in  the  northwest. 


XLIV 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


II.  The-  approach  to  the  interior  of  Alaska  by  way  of  the  inlets  of  the 
ocean  between  Sitka  and  Unalaska. — The  management  of  interior 
Alaska  could  not  be  conducted  by  Bering  Sea.  But  it  might  be  con¬ 
ducted  either  from  some  one  of  the  ports  on  Prince  William  Sound,  or 
Copper  River,  which  empties  next  to  it  on  the  east,  or  from  Cooks  Inlet 
to  the  west  of  it.  Some  of  the  streams  flowing  into  these  inlets  rise 
near  the  headwaters  of  the  Tanana,  the  Forty-Mile  Creek,  and  the 
White  River — the  Tanana  flowing  into  the  middle  Yukon,  the  Forty- 
Mile  Creek  flowing  into  the  Yukon  near  the  place  where  the  Yukon 
crosses  the  boundary  line  that  separates  Alaska  from  the  British  pos¬ 
sessions,  and  the  White  River  flowing  into  the  Yukon  some  50  miles 
above  Dawson  in  British  territory.  Should  a  transportation  com¬ 
pany  build  a  railroad  over  this  route  it  would  furnish  a  short  and 
ready  communication  from  the  south  immediately  into  the  river  val¬ 
leys  that  are  rich  in  gold,  and  large  villages  would  grow  up  very  soon 
at  the  harbor  which  formed  the  starting  point  of  the  railroad  and  at 
its  junction  and  termini.  This  route  would  have  the  advantage  of 
being  wholly  within  the  boundaries  of  Alaska.  On  this  line,  at  the 
headwaters  of  the  four  rivers  mentioned,  one  branch  could  go  down 
the  Tanana  River  to  Minook  on  the  middle  Yukon,  and  the  other 
branch  might  approach  the  upper  Yukon  with  a  terminus  at  or  about 
Circle  City  or  some  point  farther  south,  nearer  the  British  boundary 
and  the  gold  mines  of  the  Klondike.  Should  this  railroad  not  be 
built  by  private  parties,  an  express  and  mail  route  could  be  estab¬ 
lished  by  reindeer  with  relay  houses  built  on  the  entire  route  at  inter¬ 
vals  of  from  10  to  20  miles,  stocked  with  provisions  and  each  guarded 
by  one  or  two  soldiers.  But  the  reindeer  route  could  not  follow  the 
canyons  of  the  rivers  nor  extend  into  the  wooded  regions  near  the 
ocean,  because  of  the  lack  of  moss.  The  general  rule  is  that  where 
trees  grow  the  moss  is  not  to  be  found.  The  moss  feeds  directly  on 
the  rocks  until  a  humus  or  soil  is  formed,  and  then  trees  begin  to  grow. 
Where  there  is  plenty  of  moisture,  as  in  the  river  valleys  and  the 
coast  region,  the  moss  has  already  given  place  to  trees. 

The  distance  from  the  southern  harbor  to  the  head  waters  is  about 
250  miles,  and  thence  to  Minook,  at  the  junction  of  the  Tanana  and 
Yukon  rivers,  is  about  300  miles,  and  about  the  same  distance  to  the 
Yukon  on  the  east.  Over  a  good  trail  in  the  moss-covered  district 
the  reindeer  team  with  the  mail  could  travel  at  the  rate  of  100  to  200 
miles  in  the  twenty-four  hours  if  relays  are  furnished  once  in  50 
miles.  For  in  the  arctic  night  one  part  of  the  twenty-four  hours  is 
as  good  as  another  for  making  a  journey.  Consequently  the  mail 
from  the  upper  Yukon,  and  all  points  down  to  the  middle  Yukon, 
could  reach,  as  before  asserted,  the  ocean  steamer  at  Prince  William 
Sound  in  six  days  from  Minook,  and  in  eight  days  more  would  reach 
Seattle,  making  communication  from  all  the  upper  parts  of  the  Yukon 
two  weeks  old  on  reaching  Seattle. 

Another  point  of  importance  is  that  all  of  northwest  Alaska  can  be 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


XLV 


reached  by  reindeer  express  from  Minook,  near  the  month  of  the 
Tanana  on  the  middle  Yukon.  The  distance  from  Minook  to  St. 
Michael  is  about  600  miles,  and  from  Minook  to  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales  about  800  miles.  It  is  evident  that  with  reindeer  all  the  way, 
or  with  a  railroad  for  a  part  of  the  way  from  Prince  William  Sound, 
all  parts  of  Alaska  can  be  reached  by  reindeer  transportation  at  any 
time  in  the  winter,  and  with  50-mile  relays  the  reindeer  could  bring 
mail  from  St.  Michael  to  Minook  in  six  days,  and  in  eight  days  all  the 
way  from  Cape  Prince  of  Wales  to  Minook,  or  even  from  Point  Bar- 
row,  which  is  the  same  distance  from  Minook  as  the  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales.  Commercial  companies  could  then  hear  from  their  whaling 
fleets,  getting  news  not  more  than  a  month  old  on  arrival  at  Seattle. 

III.  The  approach  to  the  interior  of  Alaska  by  Chilkat  on  the  south¬ 
east. — Southeastern  Alaska,  including  the  Alexander  Archipelago,  in 
which  Sitka  and  the  neighboring  islands  are  situated,  is  accessible  at 
all  times  of  the  year.  A  bimonthly  steamer  has  for  years  sailed  from 
Seattle  to  the  northernmost  inlet  which  opens  beyond  Juneau  and 
extends  to  Dyea.  Since  the  gold  excitement  trips  are  more  frequent. 
Of  the  harbors  in  the  north  of  this  inlet  up  Lynn  Sound,  those  at 
Chilkat  and  Haines,  are  deep;  that  of  Dyea  is  shallow. 

Inasmuch  as  the  matter  of  opening  up  a  railroad  communication 
from  Prince  William  Sound  or  from  Cooks  Inlet  is  a  mere  project,  and 
inasmuch  as  it  would  not  be  feasible  to  make  a  reindeer  route  to  or 
from  either  of  these  places  until  oceanic  steamship  lines,  or  an  exten¬ 
sion  of  the  steamship  line  from  Sitka  has  made  terminal  points  of  these 
places,  the  only  alternative  for  the  present  action  is  to  complete  com¬ 
munication  from  Chilkat  or  Haines  in  the  northern  inlets  of  the  head¬ 
waters  of  the  channel  with  the  upper  Yukon  by  White  Pass  (from 
Skagway),  Chilkoot  Pass  (from  Dyea),  or  by  Chilkat  Pass  at  the  head¬ 
waters  of  the  Chilkat  River  to  Lake  Arkell,  or  farther  to  the  west  on 
a  route  sometimes  called  the  “  Dalton  trail,”  a  Mr.  Dalton  having  the 
past  season  driven  some  500  head  of  cattle  and  6,000  sheep  over  this 
route  to  the  gold  regions.  If  a  railroad  should  be  constructed  from 
Dyea  to  the  navigable  waters  that  descend  into  the  Yukon,  there 
would  still  be  occasion  for  reindeer  transportation  400  or  500  miles 
beyond  to  the  gold  regions  for  seven  or  eights  months  in  the  year. 

The  winter  climate  of  Alaska. — It  is  very  difficult  to  realize  the  con¬ 
ditions  prevalent  in  Alaska  in  the  winter  time.  In  places  where  the 
wind  from  the  southwest  comes  laden  with  moisture  from  the  ocean, 
the  snow  sometimes  falls  in  the  course  of  the  winter  to  a  depth  of  12 
feet.  Where  the  high  mountains  cause  the  south  winds  to  lose  a  large 
portion  of  their  moisture  the  snow  fall  is  much  less.  The  temperature 
in  some  months  of  the  year  will  average  many  degrees  below  zero,  fre¬ 
quently  dipping  as  low  as  50,  60,  or  even  70  degrees  below  zero,  Fah¬ 
renheit.  Other  months  of  the  same  winter  will  have  a  temperature,  for 
the  entire  month,  of  from  zero  to  freezing  point,  comparatively  comfort¬ 
able  weather.  The  meteorological  records  kept  in  this  region  show 


XLVI 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


that  tne  coldest  month  may  be  December,  January,  or  February. 
There  is  great  variation  from  one  year  to  another.  Sometimes  there 
is  a  month  in  which  a  storm  occurs  on  an  average  twice  a  week  for  a 
whole  month  together.  In  order  to  imagine  the  terrors  of  a  storm  in 
Alaska,  one  must  conceive  a  perpetual  night  varying  from  twilight 
at  midday  to  the  blackest  darkness  for  three-fourths  of  the  day,  and 
in  this  night  he  must  conceive  a  Minnesota  blizzard  in  which  the 
thermometer  instead  of  varying  from  zero  to  30  degrees  below,  as  in 
Minnesota,  varies  from  30  to  60  degrees  below.  The  impossibility  of 
combating  such  a  storm  is  obvious. 

Communication  over  the  surface  of  the  snoiv. — For  eight  months  of 
the  3mar  central  and  northern  Alaska  may  be  conceived  as  a  vast  snow 
field;  it  is  not  the  more  difficult  to  penetrate  on  that  account,  how¬ 
ever.  The  snow  covers  the  region  like  a  vast  white  asphalt  pavement. 
It  fills  up  the  small  crevices  and  the  deep  gulches  and  makes  one 
smooth  surface  undulating  with  the  hills  and  valleys.  On  the  surface 
of  the  snow  is  a  hard  crust  which  will  bear  up  men  and  animals  and 
especially  the  reindeer  with  his  broad  foot.  While  the  winter  time 
can  not  be  used  at  all  for  transportation  on  the  Arctic  Ocean  or  Bering 
Sea  or  on  the  rivers  of  Alaska,  the  long  winter  is  capable  of  being  used 
by  the  reindeer  for  communication  throughout  the  interior.  On  a 
snow  surface,  with  not  too  steep  hills  or  too  deep  valleys,  the  reindeer 
can  travel  his  50,  70,  or  even  90  miles  a  day,  getting  his  food  at  meal 
times  by  thrusting  his  tough  lips  through  the  snow  to  the  moss. 

The  supply  of  reindeer  moss  for  food. — Conceive  all  Alaska  as  one 
Amst  rock.  The  forces  of  nature — the  sun,  the  rains,  the  frosts,  the 
vital  power  of  the  seeds  of  the  moss  and  of  hardy  trees — all  these 
elements  work  on  the  rock  to  subdue  it  for  vegetation.  On  the  coast 
near  the  ocean  where  the  winds  are  laden  with  moisture  as  well  as  on 
the  river  valleys  the  first  beginnings  of  vegetation  appeared.  The 
rock  was  eaten  into  by  the  moss  plant.  After  the  moss  had  flourished 
for  untold  ages  it  had  created  a  humus  or  soil  in  which  the  seeds  of 
other  plants  could  take  root.  The  moss  epoch  then  was  followed  by 
the  tree  epoch.  When  the  trees  grew  in  the  river  valleys  and  on  the 
coast  regions  the  moss  could  not  any  longer  flourish.  But  by  this 
time  the  moss  had  conquered  the  rock  regions  far  up  the  mountain 
sides  and  over  all  the  hills  in  Alaska  even  up  to  the  Arctic  Ocean. 
This  gives  at  one  glance  the  actual  view  of  the  situation  in  Alaska. 
Around  the  southern  coasts  and  in  the  river  valleys  trees  flourish  and 
moss  is  not  found.  Back  on  the  hills  and  for  a  mile  up  the  high 
mountains  reindeer  moss  is  to  be  found  in  immense  quantities.  A 
careful  estimate  finds  sufficient  food  for  ten  millions  of  reindeer, 
basing  the  estimate  on  the  present  capacity  of  Finland  and  Lapland 
for  the  support  of  the  reindeer. 

But  the  routes  for  reindeer  travel  must  not  be  laid  out  in  river  Ami- 
leys  nor  along  the  coast  of  the  ocean.  The  reindeer  Avould  starve  on 
account  of  lack  of  moss.  This  was  the  actual  experience  in  the  journey 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


XL  VII 


made  by  Mr.  Kjellmann  in  the  winter  of  1897,  from  Port  Clarence  south 
to  Bristol  Bay.  He  accomplished  the  other  parts  of  his  journey,  even 
the  scaling  of  high  mountain  passes  without  difficulty,  but  in  attempt¬ 
ing  to  conduct  a  portion  of  his  return  journey  through  the  forest 
between  the  Kuskokwim  and  Yukon  rivers  he  could  not  find  moss 
enough  to  subsist  his  reindeer  except  by  cutting  down  trees  and  using 
an  inferior  quality  of  moss.  As  it  was,  a  half  dozen  of  his  deer  per¬ 
ished.  These  reindeer  journeys  can  be  accomplished  only  on  trails 
leading  over  the  hills  above  the  river  valleys. 

The  introduction  of  reindeer  from  Siberia  into  Alaska. — The  impor¬ 
tation  of  reindeer  from  Siberia  has  settled  favorably  all  the  questions 
of  the  Alaska  problem  except  the  facility  of  obtaining  a  supply  and 
the  possibility  of  obtaining  it  at  any  time  of  the  year. 

The  following  table  shows  at  a  glance  the  number  imported  each 
year  already  mentioned  above : 


Year. 

Number. 

Year. 

Number. 

1891....  . . . . . 

16 

171 

124 

120 

1895  . 

123 

189:2 . . . . . . 

Total . . . 

1893  . . 

554 

1894  . 

The  16  reindeer  obtained  in  1891  were  turned  loose  on  Amaknak 
Island,  Unalaska,  and  have  increased,  but  the  exact  number  is  not 
now  known.  The  other  538  deer  have  been  herded  carefully  and  their 
present  number  is  1,466,  of  which  466  was  the  increase  in  fawns  in  the 
spring  of  1897. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  table  that  538  reindeer  purchased  dur¬ 
ing  the  four  years,  1892  to  1895,  an  average  of  134  per  annum,  have 
increased  to  1,466  deer.  It  is  said  that  the  deer  born  on  the  Ameri¬ 
can  side  are  heavier  than  the  average  deer  imported  from  Siberia. 
If  the  Government  herd  amounted  to  5,000  deer  the  annual  increase 
would  be  between  2,000  and  3,000,  a  sufficient  number  to  stock  all  the 
mission  stations  in  Alaska. 

The  following  table  shows  the  location  of  these  deer  on  June  30, 
1897: 


Old  deer. 

Fawns. 

Total. 

1  ftnypi-nmfint  herd,  Teller  Station.. . . . 

343 

126 

469 

9  fln/nA  "M r»m  p.  ViptuI  _  _ _ _ _ 

193 

85 

278 

3  Swedish  herd.  d-nlovin  Ra.v  _ _ _ _ 

70 

40 

110 

4  "Rpisenpa.l  herd,  Oolovin  Ray  _  _ _ _ 

69 

40 

10!) 

5  Pape.  Prince  of  Wales  herd  _ 

243 

124 

'  367 

c>  Ta-ve-tnlr  apprentice  Teller  Station _  _ 

15 

11 

26 

7  ^e.-lfeoy-look,  apprentice.  Teller  Station _  _ _ _ _ _ 

7 

5 

12 

X  Woelrsnek.  apprentice  Teller  Station _  .  ..  _  _ 

2 

6 

9  Ah-TiOnV  pnnvfttitifft  Teller  Station  _ _ _  _ 

3 

2 

10  Flectonna  apprentice,  Teller  Station _  _ _ _ _ 

4 

3 

11  IVfosps  r*p,  (rolovin  Rav  _ _ _ 

20 

11 

31 

13  "War tin  armrentice  Oolovin  Rav  ..  _  _ _ 

12 

7 

19 

13  OtritVon  a.rmrentiee  Oolovin  Rav  .  ...  _ _ 

10 

5 

15 

1 J  TVi.tvna/n  amu’^Ti t,i(*p_  (rolovin  Bav _ _ _ 

7 

5 

12 

Total  .  _ _ _ _ _ 

1,000 

466 

1,466 

XLYITI  REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


Herds  numbered  2  and  5  have  been  ordered  to  Point  Barrow  to 
relieve  suffering  whalers.  Two  hundred  deer  trained  to  harness,  or  as 
near  that  number  as  could  be  obtained,  were  ordered  on  September 
22,  1897,  to  St.  Michael  by  the  honorable  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior 
to  assist  in  moving  supplies  to  mines  in  the  Yukon  Valley. 

The  following  table  shows  the  annual  increase  and  the  number 
received  from  previous  year: 


1891. 

1892. 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

1896. 

1897. 

Total  from  previous  year . 

143 

323 

492 

743 

1,000 

466 

Fawns  surviving . . 

79 

145 

276 

a57 

Purchased  during  summer . 

16 

171 

124 

120 

123 

Total  October  1 . . . . . 

171 

346 

588 

891 

1,100 

100 

1,466 

Loss . . . . . . 

28 

23 

96 

148 

Carried  forward  . .  . 

143 

323 

492 

743 

1,000 

The  herdsmen  first  imported  from  Siberia  were  members  of  the 
Indian  tribes,  superstitious  and  uncivilized  in  their  habits.  Their 
method  of  caring  for  the  deer  during  the  time  of  fawning  was  not 
good. 

Since  obtaining  five  families  (seventeen  persons  in  all)  from  Lap- 
land  in  1894  the  training  of  the  reindeer  has  proceeded  more  satis¬ 
factorily.  The  Eskimo  apprentices,  some  twenty-five  in  number, 
have  learned  enough  to  make  them  good  assistant  herdsmen  and  two 
of  them  are  excellent  teamsters;  but  it  would  seem  that  five  years’ 
apprenticeship  is  required  to  make  intelligent  people  well  acquainted 
with  all  the  methods  needed  in  training  the  reindeer  to  harness,  in 
caring  for  the  young,  and  with  the  various  other  arts  which  are  in 
possession  of  the  herdsmen’s  families  in  Finland  and  Lapland. 

The  great  difficulty,  however,  in  the  experiment  in  northwestern 
Alaska  is  the  obtaining  of  efficient  herdsmen.  Three  of  the  families 
of  Lapps,  after  remaining  the  three  years  agreed  upon,  have  returned 
to  Lapland.  While  two  skilled  Lapp  herders,  with  their  boys  and  with 
Eskimo  apprentices,  can  handle  a  large  herd  of  1,000  or  2,000  reindeer, 
it  requires  one  Laplander  to  each  ten  reindeer  trained  to  the  harness 
as  teamsters. 

The  one  link  necessary  for  this  satisfactory  solution  of  Alaskan 
problems  is  the  supply  of  a  sufficient  number  of  reindeer  trained  to 
the  harness  and  herders  and  teamsters  from  Lapland  and  Finland 
skilled  in  the  business.  While  the  deer  are  large  and  strong  the 
herdsmen  and  teamsters  obtained  from  Siberia  are  of  little  avail. 
The  methods  of  the  Laplanders,  which  have  been  tried  during  the 
past  three  years,  have  proved  to  be  far  better  than  those  of  the  Sibe¬ 
rians.  They  are  superior  to  the  Siberians  in  the  management  of  the 
reindeer  in  the  harness,  in  kindness  to  them,  in  civilized  habits  of 
living  (the  Laplanders  being  a  Christian  people,  the  Siberians  hav¬ 
ing  a  low  form  of  feticliism),  and  in  the  use  of  a  language  that  is 
known  to  Europeans. 


Orphanage  and  School,  Wood  Island,  Alaska. 
Woman’s  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 


Milking  Reindeer  at  the  Mission  Station,  Golovin  Bay,  Alaska. 

Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Covenant  of  America. 

By  P.  H.  Anderson. 


*V  •  *. 


: 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


XLIX 


Of  transportation  by  dogs,  Dr.  Jackson  says: 

The  dog  in  the  Arctic  seems  to  be  a  middle-sized  one,  with  much  of  the  appear¬ 
ance  and  habits  of  the  wolf.  They  are  a  hardy  animal,  suited  to  their  environ¬ 
ment.  From  five  to  eight  make  a  good  team.  They  are  frequently  hitched  up 
tandem.  When  traveling  an  attendant  usually  runs  in  front,  while  a  second 
guides  the  sled.  They  will  make  as  many  miles  in  a  day  as  the  attendant  running  in 
front  can  lead  them,  and  will  carry  on  the  sled  about  125  pounds  to  the  dog.  When 
traveling  they  are  fed  from  1  to  11  pounds  of  dry  fish  per  day.  When  at  home  they 
are  allowed  to  forage  for  themselves.  If  a  sled  load  of  freight  is  drawn  by  dogs 
a  second  sled  load  is  necessary  for  carrying  provisions  for  the  two  teams  of  dogs, 
if  the  journey  is  a  long  one.  Consequently  it  is  impossible  to  utilize  dogs  on  jour¬ 
neys  very  distant  from  sources  of  supply  of  dog  food.  Since  the  rapid  increase  of 
the  white  population  in  Alaska,  and  the  development  of  the  mines,  dog  transpor¬ 
tation  has  proved  entirely  inadequate,  although  the  necessity  has  been  so  great 
that  the  price  of  dogs  has  run  up  to  $100  and  $200  apiece.  A  year  ago  this  fall  the 
steamer  Bella  was  frozen  in  at  Fort  Yukon,  80  miles  distant  from  Circle  City. 
An  effort  was  made  to  forward  the  provisions  from  the  steamer  by  dog  teams  on 
the  ice  to  Circle  City  and  Dawson,  but  the  effort  failed.  It  was  found  impossible 
to  move  the  food  in  sufficient  quantities  and  with  sufficient  speed  to  supply  the 
miners  of  the  Yukon,  and  by  spring  flour  had  advanced  at  Dawson  City  from 
$50  to  $125  per  hundred  pounds. 

The  Bureau  of  Education  has  been  charged  with  the  care  of  edu¬ 
cation  in  Alaska.  The  object  proposed  from  the  beginning  by  the 
Commissioners  preceding  me,  General  Eaton  and  Colonel  Dawson,  has 
been  to  provide  such  education  as  to  prepare  the  natives  to  take  up 
the  industries  and  modes  of  life  established  in  the  States  by  our  white 
population,  and  by  all  means  not  try  to  continue  the  tribal  life  after  the 
manner  of  the  Indians  in  the  western  States  and  Territories.  If  the 
natives  of  Alaska  could  be  taught  the  English  language,  be  brought 
under  Christian  influences  by  the  missionaries  and  trained  into  the 
forms  of  industry  suitable  for  the  Territory,  it  seems  to  follow  as  a 
necessary  result  that  the  white  population  of  Alaska,  composed  of 
immigrants  from  the  States,  would  be  able  to  employ  them  in  their 
pursuits,  using  their  labor  to  assist  in  mining,  transportation,  and 
in  the  production  of  food.  A  population  of  40,000  natives  engaged 
in  reindeer  herding  and  transportation  would  furnish  the  contingent 
needed  to  complement  or  make  possible  the  mining  industry.  After 
cautious  experiments  in  1891,  1892,  and  1893,  and  especially  after  the 
arrival  of  the  Lapland  families  as  herdsmen  in  1894,  it  has  become 
certain  that  the  experiment  will  prove  a  success.  A  herd  of  from  100 
to  500  reindeer  should  be  placed  at  each  mission  station  together  with 
a  Lapland  herdsman  who  can  instruct  twenty  or  thirty  apprentices 
in  the  management  of  the  deer.  The  wages  for  work  done  in  behalf 
of  the  mission  station,  as  has  been  shown,  can  be  paid  by  the  trans¬ 
fer  of  reindeer  to  these  apprentices,  so  that  after  sufficient  skill  has 
been  acquired  the  apprentices  will  have  with  them  the  nucleus  of 
a  herd  of  reindeer  to  commence  their  career  with.  They  and  their 
sons  will  by  and  by  take  the  reindeer  trained  for  harness  and  find  a 
profitable  employment  with  transportation  companies.  At  home  a 
ED  97 - IV 


L 


REPORT  OE  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


large  herd  will  accumulate,  furnishing  food  in  the  form  of  reindeer 
milk  and  reindeer  meat. 

The  following  list  of  missionary  stations  will  show  how  the  entire 
territory  is  commanded  from  these  strategical  points. 

1.  On  the  Arctic  are  located  the  following: 


Denomination. 

Teachers. 

1.  Point  Barrow. . .. . . 

Presbyterian  (Government  school) . 

Episcopal . . 

Quaker .  . . . . . . 

One  missionary. 

Do. 

Three  missionaries. 

2.  Point  Hope . . 

3.  Kotzebue  Sound . . . 

With  herds  of  from  1,000  to  5,000  at  each  of  these  stations  as  already 
intimated,  there  need  never  be  the  slightest  fear  regarding  the  whalers 
who  are  caught  in  the  ice  before  reaching  Bering  Strait.  If  they  can 
not  bring  their  vessels  to  the  protected  harbors  near  by  the  missionary 
stations  they  can  at  least  escape  over  the  ice  and  obtain  sure  subsist¬ 
ence  until  spring  time.  They  can  load  their  vessels,  in  fact,  with  sup¬ 
plies  from  one  of  these  stations  and  on  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  in 
the  spring  continue  their  whaling  voyages. 

2.  The  following  missionary  stations  are  located  along  the  coast 
from  Bering  Strait  to  Unalaska  in  the  Bering  Sea: 


Denomination. 

■ 

Teachers. 

4.  Cape  Prince  of  Wales . 

5.  St.  Lawrence  Island . . . 

.  (  do  . .  . . 

Congregational . . 

Presby tei’ian  . . . . 

Government  school . . . 

Two  missionaries. 

Do. 

One  teacher. 

Three  missionaries. 

Two  missionaries. 

Do. 

Seven  missionaries. 

Two  missionaries. 

Five  missionaries. 

Four  missionaries. 

\Golovin  Bay .  . . . 

7.  Kangekosook  _ _ _ _ 

Swedish  Lutheran . 

_ do . . . 

8.  Unalaklik _ _ _ 

_ do . . . 

9.  St.  Joseoh . . 

Roman  Catholic . 

10.  Cape  V ancouver . . . . 

...  ..do . . . . 

11.  Bethel _ _ _ 

Moravian .  . 

12.  Carmel . . 

_ do . . . . . 

It  has  been  shown  that  stations  like  those  on  the  Arctic  Ocean  can 
all  be  placed  in  sufficient  communication  in  the  winter  months  with 
the  States  through  reindeer  expresses  sent  with  the  mail  to  and  from 
Minook,  on  the  middle  Yukon,  the  most  distant  station  being  only 
four  days  out  by  the  swiftest  mail,  established  by  relays,  or  only  six¬ 
teen  days  by  the  slowest  form  of  reindeer  express. 

3.  The  missionary  stations  on  the  Yukon  are  the  following: 


Denomination. 

Teachers. 

13.  Igavig . 

Moravian . 

Two  missionaries. 

One  missionary. 

jEleven  missionaries. 

Three  missionaries. 

Do. 

Two  missionaries. 

14.  Ilikamute . . . 

Roman  Catholic  _  .  ..  _  . 

15.  Koserefski . . . 

_ do . . . 

lti.  Sacred  Heart . 

..do  . . . 

17.  Anvik  . . . . 

Episcopal 

18.  Nulato  . . . . 

Roman  Catholic _  _ 

19.  Circle  City  . . 

Episcopal . . 

While  the  stations  on  the  Arctic  Sea  are  of  vital  importance  for  the 
safety  of  the  whaling  fleet,  those  on  the  Yukon  are  of  vital  impor- 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


LI 


tance  for  transportation  in  the  winter  time,  and  besides  the  mission¬ 
ary  stations  there  will  doubtless  spring  up  many  camps  of  miners  from 
the  middle  Yukon  on  to  its  highest  sources  and  also  along  all  of  the 
tributaries  on  which  gold  may  be  found.  It  is  too  much  to  expect  that 
miners  will  raise  herds  of  reindeer,  or  indeed  that  reindeer  can  possi¬ 
bly  be  raised  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  a  mining  camp,  but  the 
missionary  stations  removed  at  a  safe  distance  from  these  villages  can 
produce  hundreds  and  thousands  of  reindeer,  together  with  skilled 
natives  who  have  learned  to  speak  the  English  language  and  have 
acquired  the  manners  and  customs  of  our  people.  These  will  become 
herdsmen  and  teamsters  for  the  mines. 

4.  The  Aleutian  Islands.  On  one  of  these  (20)  Unalaska  has  a 
missionary  establishment,  Methodist,  with  two  missionaries  and  one 
Government  teacher. 

The  Aleutian  Islands  are  all  said  to  be  moss-bearing,  and  they 
should  all  have  herds  of  reindeer.  If  not  tame,  at  least  a  few  should 
be  placed  on  each  island  to  run  wild  and  stock  the  pastures. 

5.  The  missionary  stations  along  the  northern  Pacific  Coast  between 
Sitka  and  Unalaska  are: 


Denomination. 

Teachers. 

21.  Wood  Island . 

Baptist-.  . . 

Four  missionaries. 

Three  missionaries. 

One  Government  teacher. 
Do. 

Do. 

22.  Yakutat  . . . 

Swedish  Lutheran . . 

23.  Kadiak 1 . . . . 

24.  Afognak1 . . 

25.  Unga1 . 

1  Government  schools. 


The  voyage  from  Sitka  to  Unalaska,  almost  directly  west,  is  1,200 
miles.  Along  this  coast  the  above  missionary  stations  are  established. 
Transportation  with  the  interior  of  Alaska  from  these  stations  will  be 
made  possible  by  the  possession  of  reindeer  herds. 

6.  The  missionary  stations  in  the  Sitka  Archipelago  at  the  south¬ 
east  are: 


Denomination. 

Teachers. 

ey.  /Haines _ _  ... _ _ _ _ _ 

Presbyterian . 

Four  missionaries. 

.do  . 

Government  school . 

One  teacher. 

/Hoonah _ _ _ _ _ _ 

Presbyterian . 

Four  missionaries. 

Al'\  do . 

Government  school . 

One  teacher. 

28  .Tnnpan 

Presbyterian . 

Three  missionaries. 

29.  do 

Episcopal  ...  . . . 

One  missionary. 

30.  do  _ 

Roman  Catholic . . . 

Three  missionaries. 

r>i  IDouelas 

Quaker . . . . 

Do. 

3L{ .  .  do 

Two  Government  schools . 

Two  teachers. 

Presbyterian . . . 

Twelve  missionaries. 

Two  Government  schools _ 

Five  teachers. 

33.  .do 

Episcopal . . . . . 

One  missionary. 

34.  Kake  . 

Quaker. . 

Two  missionaries. 

fFort  Wrangel 

Presbyterian . . 

Do. 

{  .  do . 

Government  school . . 

One  teacher. 

/Sax  man. 

Presbyterian  . . 

Two  teachers. 

361  \  .  do . . 

Government  school . 

Do. 

07  /Jackson..  .  .  . 

Presbyterian  . . . . 

Four  missionaries. 

.  .  do.  . . 

Government  school . 

One  teacher. 

38.  Metlakahtla . 

Independent . 

One  missionary  and  assist- 

ants. 

LII 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  EDUCATION. 


These  stations  can  not  at  present  be  nsecl  for  education  in  the  art 
of  managing  the  reindeer  for  the  lack  of  moss  fields.  It  is  therefore 
deemed  very  important  that  a  large  herd  of  reindeer  should  be  placed 
as  near  as  possible  to  this  region,  namely,  at  some  point  northwest  of 
the  Lynn  Canal,  as  near  as  possible  to  Cliilkat.  To  this  place  could 
be  sent  enterprising  and  promising  young  men  from  the  mission 
schools  in  the  Sitka  Archipelago  to  be  trained  for  teamsters  and 
herdsmen,  for  it  is  at  this  point,  as  has  already  been  pointed  out,  that 
the  problem  of  winter  communication  with  Alaska,  so  necessary  to 
its  Government  management,  must  be  solved. 

The  reindeer  transportation  must  move  out  from  the  north  of  the 
Lynn  Canal  at  Cliilkat  or  Dyea.  There  should  be  an  appropriation 
of  $25,000  per  annum  for  the  expense  of  the  camp  of  a  reindeer  sta¬ 
tion  at  this  place — that  is,  as  near  as  possible  to  the  Lynn  Canal — 
although  probably  the  place  selected  on  Alaskan  territory  for  this 
purpose  must  be  between  the  headwaters  of  the  Tanana  and  White 
rivers,  and  300  miles  northwest  of  Cliilkat.  This  herd  should  be 
increased  from  year  to  year  until  it  amounts  to  5,000,  in  order  to 
hurry  forward  the  work  of  developing  the  resources  of  Alaska  by 
reindeer  culture. 

The  Government  may  ultimately  be  able  from  time  to  time  to  dispose 
of  a  sufficient  number  of  these  reindeer  to  reimburse  the  Treasury  for 
the  expense  incurred.  It  is  desirable,  of  course,  as  soon  as  possible 
after  a  demonstration  has  been  made  of  the  practicability  of  the 
scheme  and  its  best  methods  have  been  discovered,  that  private  enter¬ 
prise  shall  take  up  and  carry  on  the  industry,  but  it  is  all  important 
that  at  least  one  part  of  the  reindeer  industry  should  be  kept  along 
its  present  lines  until  the  natives  of  Alaska  have  been  elevated  from 
the  status  of  a  hunting  and  fishing  civilization  to  that  of  farming  and 
grazing.  But  if  the  reindeer  enterprise  gets  entirely  into  the  control 
of  private  business  parties  before  this  is  accomplished  its  benefits 
may  be  turned  away  from  the  native  people.  It  is  therefore  very 
important  that  the  missionary  stations  shall  be  supplied  with  reindeer 
herds  after  the  plan  already  inaugurated  by  this  Bureau. 

All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 

W.  T.  Harris, 

Commissioner. 

Hon.  Cornelius  NT.  Bliss, 

Secretary  of  the  Interior. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

REPORT  ON  EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


Department  of  the  Interior, 

Bureau  of  Education,  Alaska  Division, 

Washington,  D.  C.,  June  SO,  1897. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  the  twelfth  annual  report  of  the  United  States 
general  agent  of  education  in  Alaska  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1897. 

There  is  in  Alaska  a  school  population  of  from  8,000  to  10,000;  of  these,  1,395 
were  enrolled  in  the  twenty  Government  schools  in  operation  during  the  fiscal 
year. 

Circle  City. — Miss  Anna  Fulcomer,  teacher;  enrollment,  43;  population,  whites, 
half-breeds,  and  natives.  The  development  of  the  gold  mines  along  the  tributa¬ 
ries  of  the  Upper  Yukon  has  within  the  past  two  or  three  years  attracted  hundreds 
of  miners,  some  of  them  with  their  families,  into  that  region.  Feeling  the  need 
for  school  facilities,  on  January  5,  1896,  a  mass  meeting  was  held  at  Circle  City, 
under  the  Arctic  Circle,  in  the  heart  of  the  Birch  Creek  mining  district,  and  the 
center  of  a  population  of  several  thousand,  at  which  a  petition  for  a  trained  pub¬ 
lic-school  teacher  was  drawn  up  and  subsequently  forwarded  to  the  Bureau  of 
Education,  and  a  volunteer  lady  teacher  temporarily  engaged.  In  their  letter  to 
the  Bureau,  the  citizens  guaranteed  that  they  would  erect  a  schoolhouse  before 
the  arrival  of  a  professional  teacher  in  September.  To  show  that  they  were  in 
earnest,  over  $1,100  was  raised  for  school  purposes  and  all  the  ladies  in  town  were 
by  the  citizens  constituted  a  school  board.  It  was  felt  that  such  zeal  should  not 
be  checked,  and  Miss  Anna  Fulcomer,  who  had  previously  done  good  service  in 
the  school  at  Unalaska,  on  the  Aleutian  Islands,  was  selected  as  teacher  for  Circle 
City. 

Miss  Fulcomer  thus  describes  her  experiences:  “I  arrived  hereon  August  17, 
1896,  finding  no  school  building  ready  for  me,  and  not  a  vacant  house  in  town  in 
which  I  could  open  the  school.  Consequently,  I  was  obliged  to  wait,  impatiently, 
until  October  1,  when  the  building  was  under  roof;  then  I  opened  my  school,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  windows  were  not  in  and  the  doors  were  not  hung.  The 
men  worked  off  and  on  while  I  was  teaching,  but  it  was  not  until  December  12 
that  the  work  stopped.  Since  that  time  the  schoolhouse  has  been  as  snug  and 
comfortable  as  any  place  in  town.  During  the  winter  nearly  all  the  men  in  town 
left  for  the  new  gold  diggings  at  Klondike,  where  they  wTere  more  successful  than 
they  had  been  here.  When  the  ice  ran  out  of  the  Yukon  the  third  week  in  May, 
these  men  came  down  the  river,  packed  up  their  belongings,  and  moved  to  Klon¬ 
dike  with  their  families.  This  is  one  reason  for  the  sudden  decrease  in  the  school 
attendance  during  May.  The  other  reason  is  that  at  last  spring  sunshine  had  come. 

“For  seven  months  it  had  been  so  cold  and  stormy  that  the  children  could  have 
no  out-of-doors  play  life.  In  May  the  weather  moderated,  the  sun  shone  warm  and 
bright,  the  snow  began  to  melt,  ducks,  geese,  and  song  birds  slowly  came,  and  the 
children  were  fairly  wild  to  be  out  of  doors.  It  seemed  almost  as  much  of  a  sin 
to  keep  them  in  the  house  as  it  does  to  keep  our  faithful  farm  animals  shut  in  the 
dim,  musty  barn  and  feed  them  on  dry  hay,  when  they  deserve  to  be  out  frisking 
and  enjoying  the  bright  sunshine  and  eating  the  tender,  fresh  grass.  Many  native 
children  dropped  out,  and  I  did  not  blame  them.  However,  I  kept  on  with  an 
attendance  of  eleven  and  twelve  pupils.  But  it  suddenly  grew  intensely  hot;  all 
kinds  of  bugs  and  worms  began  to  wake  from  their  winter’s  sleep  and  came  crawl¬ 
ing  out  of  the  moss.  filling  the  chinks  between  the  logs— bees,  hornets,  and  our 
terrible  pest,  mosquitoes.  Sometimes  it  was  enough  to  make  one's  flesh  creep. 
With  such  visitors  as  these  the  children  could  not  study,  so  before  long  we  had 
to  stop  school. 


ED  97 


101 


1601 


1602 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA 


1603 


1604  EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1605 


“Teaching  school  in  this  far  north  land  is  altogether  different  from  teaching  in 
the  States,  and  the  teacher  is  at  times  compelled  to  change  the  usual  order  of 
things  and  use  her  own  judgment,  depending  on  the  Department’s  having  faith 
enough  in  her  to  sanction  such  changes.  For  nearly  three  months  during  the 
winter  the  people  want  to  hibernate.  They  can  not  help  it,  for  there  seems  to  be 
something  in  the  air  tending  to  that  result.  The  days  are  so  short  that  the  people 
sink  into  a  kind  of  stupor,  not  wanting  to  rouse  up  when  daylight  comes,  even 
though  that  be  delayed  until  11  in  the  morning.  During  these  dark  months  I  was 
always  at  the  schoolliouse  before  half  past  9,  but  was  usually  alone  there  until 
half  past  10,  when  the  children  would  straggle  sleepily  in,  some  without  break¬ 
fast.  By  noon  all  would  be  there. 

“When  the  citizens  wrote  to  the  Bureau  of  Education  a  year  ago  for  a  teacher 
there  was  the  greatest  enthusiasm  on  the  subject;  but  months  before  I  arrived  all 
the  enthusiasm  had  died  out,  the  women  trustees  were  at  sword's  points,  nearly 
all  the  money  raised  had  been  paid  out  for  the  temporary  teacher  and  firewood, 
and  hardly  anyone,  even  those  who  had  children,  were  in  favor  of  a  school  at  all, 
but  wanted  the  money  that  remained  put  into  a  hall  for  town  and  dance  purposes. 
However,  the  school  has  been  a  success.  I  like  the  children;  the  majority  are 
bright,  intelligent,  and  lovable.” 

Teller  Reindeer  Station. — T.  L.  Brevig,  teacher;  enrollment  of  pupils,  53;  popu¬ 
lation,  Eskimo.  During  the  fiscal  year  school  has  been  in  session  one  hundred 
and  sixty  days.  The  attendance  has  been  somewhat  less  than  during  the  previous 
year,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  headquarters  of  the  herd  has  been  at  Ageeopak, 
which  was  too  far  from  the  station  to  permit  the  regular  attendance  of  the  herd¬ 
ers.  The  progress  made  among  those  who  attended  regularly  has  been  satisfac¬ 
tory.  ,  It  has  been  noticed  that  the  Eskimos  who  have  been  to  the  States  one  or 
more  'times  are  far  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  natives  with  regard  to  cleanliness, 
clothing,  language,  and  good  behavior.  This  is  the  natural  result  of  contact  with 
civilization. 

Cape  Prince  of  Wales. — Thomas  Hanna,  teacher;  enrollment  of  pupils,  132;  pop¬ 
ulation,  Eskimo.  The  school  was  not  so  well  attended  as  in  previous  years.  A 
feud  between  two  of  the  principal  families,  brought  about  by  drunkenness  and 
the  killing  of  two  men  and  the  scarcity  of  food  were  the  chief  causes  of  the 
decreased  attendance.  School  work  was  so  divided  that  both  day  and  night  ses¬ 
sions  were  held.  The  printing  press  donated  by  Mrs.  W.  T.  Hatch,  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  has  been  very  useful  in  enabling  the  teacher  to  prepare  supplementary  les¬ 
sons  for  the  school.  Some  of  the  boys  have  assisted  in  setting  type  and  in  dis¬ 
tributing  it.  A  kindergarten  was  established  in  May,  conducted  by  Mrs.  Lopp. 

St.  Lawrence  Island. — Y.  C.  Gambell,  teacher;  enrollment  of  pupils,  66;  popu¬ 
lation,  Eskimo.  The  people,  young  and  old,  have  shown  untiring  interest  in  the 
school.  On  stormy  days  the  parents  carry  the  smaller  children  to  school.  We  let 
all  the  children  come,  no  difference  how  young  they  are,  but  they  are  not  enrolled 
if  under  5;  these  learn  English  and  songs  from  hearing  the  older  ones.  The  girls 
attend  regularly  now,  though  they  are  yet  very  bashful.  The  winds  were  unusu¬ 
ally  favorable  the  past  winter,  allowing  them  to  catch  an  abundance  of  seals;  so 
that  at  no  time  was  there  suffering  from  lack  of  food. 

They  have  at  last  learned  to  manufacture  whisky.  A  whaler  brought  a  woman 
from  Point  Hope  who  taught  them.  They  use  about  5  quarts  of  molasses  and  3  of 
flour  to  a  5-gallon  coal  oil  can  of  water.  This  is  allowed  to  ferment  for  from  four 
to  seven  days,  when  it  is  heated,  the  vapor  passing  through  an  old  gun  barrel 
which  is  kept  cool,  thus  condensing  it.  This  yields  about  a  quart  of  whisky. 
Several  houses  were  making  it  all  winter,  and  drunken  men  were  not  uncommon. 

The  children  are  cleaner,  and  show  a  decided  improvement  in  every  way.  We 
try  to  have  all  the  people  clean  themselves  up  when  the  Bear  comes,  and  a  great 
many  of  them  do  in  their  way.  We  think  we  have  gained  their  confidence,  and 
look  forward  for  greater  improvements  in  the  not  distant  future. 

Unalaska. — Miss  M.  E.  Mellor,  teacher,  and  Miss  M.  Salamatoff,  assistant; 
enrollment,  48;  population,  Aleut.  Miss  Mellor  reports  as  follows:  “The  school 
opened  September  1,  1896,  with  an  enrollment  of  39  children;  48  were  on  the  roll 
at  the  close  of  school.  This  represents  the  number  of  regular  attendants  only. 
At  intervals  during  the  year  we  had  an  attendance  of  56  for  a  week  at  a  time — 
almost  all  the  children  in  the  village.  When  the  Russian  school  closed  for  the 
holidays  many  of  the  boys  came  to  our  school  regularly  during  that  time.  They 
seemed  to  prefer  the  4  American  ’  school,  as  they  called  it,  and  when  they  came  to 
ask  permission  to  attend,  if  only  for  a  short  season,  we  had  not  the  heart  to  refuse 
them,  although  we  were  overcrowded  without  them.  For  over  a  month  we  had 
two  children  from  the  distant  island  of  Sannakli.  Their  mother  brought  them  to 
me,  and,  through  an  interpreter,  asked  if  I  would  take  them  into  our  school.  The 


1606 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 


children,  as  a  whole,  have  worked  well  at  their  studies,  and  their  progress  has  been 
encouraging.  In  arithmetic  the  highest  class  has  commenced  work  in  fractions, 
and  almost  half  of  the  pupils  can  do  examples  in  multiplication  and  long  division 
with  a  very  fair  degree  of  accuracy  and  rapidity.  Much  attention  has  been  given 
to  phonic  drill  and  to  the  construction  of  English  sentences.  We  have  exercises 
in  composition  three  times  a  week,  some  familiar  object  being  taken;  and  after 
reading  or  talking  about  it  the  children  would  write  on  their  slates  what  they 
could  remember  about  it.  These  written  exercises  were  read  aloud  in  class  and 
criticised,  both  as  to  subject-matter  and  the  use  of  English.  We  have  no  text¬ 
books  on  United  States  history,  but  I  read  to  the  older  pupils  from  a  ‘Young 
Folks  ’  history  and  then  talked  about  it.  Marked  progress  has  been  made  in  read¬ 
ing;  each  class  has  had  two  lessons  a  day.  It  is  gratifying  to  note  an  increasing 
love  for  the  study.  Elementary  drawing,  physiology,  and  geography  have  also 
had  their  proper  place  in  school  work,  with  gratifying  results.  The  work  of  the 
year  has  been  very  pleasant  and  the  outlook  is  most  encouraging.  ” 

Unga. — O.  R.  McKinney,  teacher;  enrollment,  40;  population,  white  and  Aleut. 
Mr.  McKinney  submits  the  following  report:  “During  the  summer,  authority  was 
granted  by  the  Commissioner  of  Education  for  the  building  of  an  extension  to  the 
schoolliouse,  to  be  used  as  a  library  room.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  we  could  not 
secure  the  services  of  a  carpenter,  I  commenced  school  on  August  24,  in  order  to 
get  in  as  much  time  as  possible  before  the  carpenter  was  ready.  I  continued 
school  until  the  last  of  September.  I  then  closed  school  and  set  to  work  with  the 
carpenter  at  the  building,  so  that  it  might  be  finished  as  soon  as  possible.  About 
the  last  of  October  we  had  the  work  far  enough  along  to  enable  us  to  have  school 
again.  During  the  holidays  the  carpenter  completed  the  work,  and  from  January 
10  our  school  continued  until  May  30  without  interruption.  My  pupils  are  making 
rapid  progress  in  their  studies,  and  we  seem  to  have  the  full  sympathy  and  sup¬ 
port  of  all  the  patrons.  On  March  12  we  had  an  exhibition,  which  wras  considered 
a  grand  success.  The  school  is  in  better  condition  than  ever  before,  the  moral 
tone  of  our  village  has  been  much  better  during  the  year  than  ever,  and  there  is 
nothing  to  discourage  me  in  my  work.  Our  library  is  still  increasing,  and  is  doing 
a  great  deal  of  good  among  the  readers.  Books  will  be  thankfully  received.  We 
are  much  in  need  of  an  organ  or  some  musical  instrument  in  our  school. ’’ 

Kadiak. — C.  C.  Solter,  teacher;  enrollment,  52;  population,  Russian  Creoles. 
Mr.  Solter  writes:  “  My  larger  pupils  did  excellent  work  in  language  and  drawing. 
I  am  sometimes  surprised  to  get  such  well- written  sentences,  when  I  consider  that 
outside  of  the  schoolroom  scarcely  a  word  of  English  is  spoken.  In  drawing  they 
excel,  and  make  better  progress  than  the  average  American  children.  In  arith¬ 
metic  they  are  not  so  apt,  yet  I  have  third- reader  pupils  who  handle  fractions 
very  readily.  They  take  much  interest  also  in  geography  and  history.  If  anyone 
doubts  whether  it  pays  for  these  children  to  attend  school,  the  parents  of  the 
children  certainly  do  not.  They  want  their  children  to  learn,  and  are  proud  to 
receive  a  letter  from  an  absent  son  or  daughter. 

“  Many  children  who  live  in  settlements  where  there  is  no  school  would  be  sent 
here  if  we  could  board  them.  I  have  been  asked  several  times  by  white  men  to 
take  in  their  boy  or  girl,  that  he  or  she  could  have  the  benefit  of  an  education. 
So  far  it  has  been  impossible  for  us  to  accommodate  anyone,  though  the  parents 
were  willing  to  pay  board  for  their  children.  There  is  no  place  here  where  a 
child  could  be  properly  cared  for;  all  the  people  have  enough  to  do  to  take  care 
of  their  own  children.  Our  house  is  too  small.  If  we  did  take  them  we  would 
soon  be  overcrowded  in  our  schoolroom,  which  is  barely  large  enough  to  accom¬ 
modate  the  Kadiak  children.  There  is  no  doubt  that  if  a  boarding  school  were 
started  the  children  would  flock  in  from  all  parts  of  this  district.  This  would  be 
the  most  satisfactory  kind  of  a  school.  There  would  be  regularity  in  attendance. 
Being  in  school  constantly,  they  would  soon  learn  to  use  the  English  language 
fluently,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  Russian  and  Aleut.  They  would  thus  exercise 
an  influence  for  good  over  the  other  children  and  become  thoroughly  American¬ 
ized.  Several  families  now  live  in  Kadiak  in  order  that  their  children  may  have 
the  advantage  of  the  school.  The  fathers  are  at  work  at  distant  stations.  Many 
more  would  do  the  same  thing  if  they  could  afford  it.  Every  year  I  furnish  a 
number  of  books  to  parents  living  at  a  distance,  who  begin  the  education  of  their 
children  at  home.  I  hope  that  Congress  will  increase  our  appropriations  until  in 
the  near  future  every  child  in  Alaska  may  have  a  chance  for  a  common-school 
education.  I  can  not  close  my  report  without  urging  again  the  necessity  of  com¬ 
pulsory  attendance.  The  Russian  schools  are  able  to  compel  attendance  by  the 
authority  of  the  church,  but  American  teachers  can  only  urge  the  advantages  to 
be  secured  with  indifferent  success.  Some  resident  of  the  village  should  be 
appointed  with  full  authority  to  enforce  the  attendance  of  all  recalcitrant  young- 


Matron  and  Pupils,  Jesse  Lee  Home,  Unalaska. 

Woman’s  Home  Mission  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


Teacher  and  Pupils,  Industrial  Group,  Sitka. 
Woman’s  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  ihe  Presbyterian  Church. 


1 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1607 


sters.  The  children  were  very  much  pleased  with  the  garden  seeds  that  were 
kindly  sent  me  by  the  Bureau  for  distribution  among  their  parents.  At  first  I 
gave  a  package  of  seeds  to  one  child  in  each  family,  thinking  that  would  be  suffi¬ 
cient,  but  the  rest  thought  themselves  slighted  and  wept  so  piteously  that  1  had 
to  give  each  child  a  package.  They  evidently  made  good  use  of  them,  as  small 
gardens  can  be  seen  scattered  all  over  town.  Many  of  them  had  never  planted 
seeds  before.” 

Karluk. — R.  B.  Dunmire,  teacher;  enrollment,  28;  population,  whites  and 
Aleuts.  The  school  year  has  shown  decided  progress  in  the  various  branches  of 
school  work.  The  people  are  learning  to  discriminate  between  Americans  and  the 
fishermen  and  sailors  who  come  to  this  great  canning  station  during  the  summer 
months.  Of  course,  the  opposition  of  the  Russian  Church  is  as  decided  as  ever. 
Tlie  children  have  been  better  clad  than  they  were  last  winter,  still  some  of  them 
come  to  school  in  their  bare  feet  even  on  cold  days.  The  population  is  decreasing 
rapidly,  owing  largely  to  the  poverty  of  the  natives,  coupled  with  their  drunken¬ 
ness  and  immorality.  The  fishermen  are  the  chief  cause  of  these  two  vices.  Of  the 
children  born  during  the  last  two  years,  but  one  remains  alive.  The  United  States 
commissioner  at  Unalaska,  700  miles  away,  is  the  nearest  representative  of  the 
authority  of  the  United  States.  Here  there  is  no  means  whatever  of  punishing 
the  perpetrators  of  crime.  Still  there  is  hope  for  the  children  in  that  they  are 
rapidly  learning  the  English  language  and  are  beginning  to  learn  how  to  take  care 
of  themselves.  It  is  yet  possible  to  repair  some  of  the  wrong  that  has  been  done 
them. 

Haines. — W.  W.  Warne,  teacher;  enrollment,  68;  population,  Thlinget.  Mr. 
Warne  writes:  “  This  report  closes  the  sixth  year  of  my  services  as  teacher  of  this 
school.  The  year  has  been  our  best.  More  real  advancement  has  been  made 
than  in  any  previous  year;  the  attendance  has  not  been  much  larger,  but  it  has 
been  more  regular  and  we  have  not  had  so  many  raw  recruits.  Most  of  the  chil¬ 
dren  around  here  have  been  to  school  more  or  less,  so  that  instead  of  it  being  the 
exception  to  find  a  child  that  has  attended  school  it  is  now  the  exception  to  find 
one  who  has  not  attended,  at  least  for  a  short  time.  If  we  continue  work  a  lew 
years  longer,  we  shall  have  reached  almost  all  the  children,  and  our  work  wiil  be 
firmly  established.  In  my  experience  with  the  parents  I  can  not  help  but  notice 
that  they  begin  to  regard  it  as  a  disgrace  for  a  child  to  remain  illiterate,  and  all 
show  more  or  less  eagerness  to  have  their  children  attend  school.  The  change  in 
this  respect  during  the  past  six  years  is  very  noticeable.  I  see  a  bright  future  for 
our  -work,  although  f  can  not  deny  that  there  is  a  dark  side,  but  the  progress  cer¬ 
tainly  has  been  encouraging,  and  I  hope  that  the  good  work  may  be  pushed  even 
more  rapidly  in  the  future  than  it  has  been  in  the  past.” 

Sitka,  No  1. — Mrs.  G.  Knapp,  teacher;  enrollment.  39;  population,  white,  Amer¬ 
ican,  and  Russian.  The  regularity  of  attendance  at  this  school  has  been  very  sat¬ 
isfactory,  largely  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  teacher  offered  prizes  for  punctuality. 
Because  of  the  many  changes  among  the  naval  and  civil  officials  stationed  at 
Sitka  there  are  changes  in  the  school.  Children  from  the  States  come  and  go 
with  their  parents,  and  it  is  possible  to  compare  the  work  of  the  school  with  the 
work  done  in  cities  in  the  East.  Mrs.  Knapp  states  that  children  from  the  States 
enter  classes  with  Sitka  children  of  their  own  age.  A  circulating  library  is  main¬ 
tained  in  connection  with  the  school,  and  has  proved  a  source  of  much  enjoyment 
to  the  children. 

Sitka,  No.  2.— Miss  Cassia  Patton,  teacher,  and  Miss  Flora  Campbell,  assistant; 
enrollment,  154;  population,  Thlinget.  The  following  is  Miss  Patton's  report: 
“There  being  two  teachers,  we  were  able  to  give  more  individual  instruction, 
which  is  especially  helpful  to  these  non-English  speaking  children.  Our  girls  and 
smali  boys  enjoyed  knitting  very  much.  In  sewing,  we  found  some  of  the  girls 
quite  apt  in  the  use  of  the  needle,  and  the  boys  were  pleased  to  learn  how  to  sew 
on  buttons,  especially  when  they  were  allowed  to  replace  any  lost  from  their  gar¬ 
ments.  Much  of  our  work  is  developing  their  knowledge  of  English,  which  is  not 
spoken  in  their  homes.  I  have  a  small  collection  of  objects  by  which  they  are  sur¬ 
rounded  at  home,  of  which  they  soon  learn  the  English  names.  About  the  1st  of 
November  the  Russian  parochial  school  opened  and  took  from  us  some  of  the  chil¬ 
dren  who  were  faithful  followers  of  the  Russo- Greek  Church,  but  many  continued 
to  go  to  both  schools  irregularly  in  order  to  be  sure  of  two  Christmas  trees.  One 
day  the  janitor  of  the  Russian  school  came  into  our  school  and  asked  for  all  the 
‘Russian  Indians,’  as  followers  of  the  Greek  Church  are  called.  I  replied  (Miss 
Campbell  interpreting)  that  I  did  not  distinguish  between  Russian  Indians  or  any 
other  kind,  and  that  this  was  a  Government  public  school,  where  all  were  on  the 
same  footing.  He  began  picking  them  out;  then  I  told  him  that  they  were  all 
Americans  and  could  come  here  if  they  pleased.  Taking  the  flag,  which  we  are  in 


1608 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

the  liahit  of  saluting,  I  spoke  to  the  children  and  told  them  that  if  their  parents 
wished  them  to  come  to  this  school  no  one  else  had  anything  to  say  about  it.  I 
was  only  sorry  that  1  could  not  say  to  the  parents  that  according  to  the  laws  of 
the  United  States  they  must  send  their  children  to  learn  English,  or  American,  as 
they  term  it.  In  January  there  was  great  feasting  and  dancing  in  the  native 
village  in  honor  of  the  visit  of  a.  hundred  visitors  from  Hoonah,  which  interfered 
considerably  with  our  attendance.  Then  came  an  epidemic  of  whooping  cough 
and  the  usual  spring  exodus  for  fish  eggs.  Immediately  after  Christmas  1  offered 
prizes  to  be  given  on  Washington's  Birthday  to  those  whose  attendance  was  good 
until  that  time;  seven  were  worthy  of  dolls  or  mouth  organs,  and  one,  whose  rec¬ 
ord  was  excellent,  I  deemed  worthy  of  a  suit  of  clothes,  and  a  very  happy  boy  he 
was,  for  I  believe  it  was  his  first  whole  new  suit.  My  next  effort  to  increase  the 
attendance  and  punctuality  was  to  buy  a  number  of  toys  which  I  allowed  the  chil¬ 
dren  to  play  with  before  each  session. 

“  For  the  last  three  years  I  have  distributed  garden  seeds  during  the  last  months 
of  school,  thus  keeping  the  children  in  attendance  and  interesting  the  parents. 
Through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Jackson  and  the  Agricultural  Department,  I  was 
able  to  distribute  a  greater  quantity  this  year.  In  this  work  I  have  been  very 
much  assisted  by  my  father,  who  is  a  practical  farmer,  and  has  allowed  me  to 
bring  my  classes  to  his  garden,  where  he  showed  them  how  to  plant  and  weed. 
The  great  drawback  to  their  gardening  is  that  they  have  had  the  habit  of  planting 
on  distant  islands,  only  visiting  them  from  time  to  time.  A  beginning  has  now 
been  made  in  making  gardens  in  the  Sitka  village.  If  they  continue  to  do  this,  I 
believe  it  will  tend  to  make  them  build  their  houses  farther  apart,  which  will  be 
an  improvement  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view  and  perhaps  tend  to  break  up  the 
custom  of  several  families  living  in  the  same  house.  I  have  jTet  a  further  interest  in 
this  gardening.  My  father  is  experimenting  in  the  raising  of  flax,  which,  I  believe, 
is  just  the  thing  for  this  country.  I  have  had  a  wooden  loom  built,  which  the 
natives,  who  are  apt  with  tools,  can  copy,  and  I  propose  to  teach  the  women  to 
weave  rag  carpet.  These  carpets  will  make  their  homes  more  attractive;  and  if 
the  flax  is  a  success,  the  industries  of  gardening  and  weaving  will  be  open  to  them. 
Of  course  this  will  be  slow  work,  but  as  the  fishing  and  hunting  diminish  we  need 
to  have  industries  in  which  they  are  interested  ready  lor  them.” 

Juneau ,  No.  1. — S.  A.  Keller,  teacher:  enrollment,  86:  population,  white. 
Juneau  is  the  largest  town  in  southeast  Alaska,  and  the  school  is  working  on  a 
course  that  will  soon  reach  the  high-school  grade.  However,  with  only  one 
teacher  it  is  difficult  to  plan  the  work  so  as  to  give  each  pupil  the  training  neces¬ 
sary  for  individual  intellectual  growth.  About  20  per  cent  of  the  children  of 
school  age  are  on  the  streets.  A  law  for  compulsory  regular  attendance  at  school 
would  be  a  great  benefit. 

Juneau ,  No.  2. — Miss  Elizabeth  Saxman,  teacher;  enrollment,  26;  population, 
Thlinget.  Miss  Saxman  writes:  “The  spirit  of  emulation  that  prevailed  among 
the  children  during  the  entire  term  was  indeed  encouraging.  The  boys  and  girls 
seemed  more  wide-awake  and  enthusiastic  than  ever  before.  More  than  a  little 
rivalry  was  manifested.  The  lack  of  this  used  to  annoy  me  considerably,  as  some 
of  the  largest  pupils  did  not  seem  to  care  whether  they  made  any  progress  or  not. 
In  many  cases  it  is  difficult  to  get  the  native  parents  to  send  their  children  to 
school.  They  give  you  faithful  promises  when  you  go  to  see  them,  and  say  that 
they  will  send  their  children  ‘  to-morrow  ’  or  ‘  next  week  ’ — in  fact,  say  anything 
to  settle  the  question  for  the  present.  However,  I  feel  that  we  shall  surely  reach 
them  satisfactorily  this  winter,  since  Mr.  Fred  Moore  (a  native  graduate  of  the 
Sitka  school)  has  been  appointed  chief  of  the  native  police.  He  is  doing  a  grand 
work  among  his  people.” 

Jackson. — Miss  C.  Baker,  teacher;  enrollment,  84;  population,  Thlinget.  Miss 
Baker  reports  as  follows:  “At  the  commencement  of  the  term  but  few  of  the 
natives  had  returned  from  their  summer  hunting.  After  the  village  had  filled  up 
I  went  around  and  talked  with  each  family  of  the  importance  of  sending  the  chil¬ 
dren  to  school  regularly.  As  a  result,  every  child  in  town  that  was  large  enough 
came  to  school.  I  used  every  effort  to  increase  their  interest  and  keep  them  in 
school,  and  succeeded  beyond  my  expectations,  the  irregularity  in  the  cases  in 
which  it  occurred  being  the  fault  of  the  parents  and  not  of  the  children.  We 
have  kept  the  schoolroom  well  filled,  well  cleaned,  and  well  ventilated  throughout 
the  term.  The  interest  and  progress  have  been  commendable,  arithmetic  and 
writing  being  the  favorite  studies.  The  discouraging  feature  of  the  work  is  the 
continual  coming  and  going  of  the  natives  from  village  to  village,  which  greatly 
interferes  with  regularity  of  attendance.  However,  I  think  we  have  had  an 
excellent  school.” 

Fort  Wr angel. — Miss  Anna  R.  Kelsey,  teacher;  enrollment,  64;  population, 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1609 


Thlinget.  This  is  the  oldest  of  the  schools  in  Alaska,  having  been  established  in 
1877.  From  that  time  until  the  present  it  has  continued  to  be  a  means  for  the 
uplifting  of  the  natives  in  this  region.  Here  the  native  chief,  Shakes,  has  been 
of  considerable  assistance  in  securing  the  attendance  of  the  children. 

Saxman. — J.  W.  Young,  teacher;  Miss  M.  J.  Young,  assistant  teacher;  enroll¬ 
ment,  75;  population,  Thlinget.  Mr.  Young  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
year:  “  The  year  has  made  a  great  change  in  the  size  of  the  community,  and  if 
that  is  to  be  a  test,  we  have  succeeded  very  well.  When  I  arrived  nere  in  the  fall 
of  1895  to  build  up  a  temperance,  self-governing  community  there  was  no  building 
here  except  the  schoolhouse.  Now  we  have  a  village  of  24  houses,  with  a  popu¬ 
lation  of  120.  As  you  know,  the  Thlingets  do  not  remain  in  one  place  during  the 
entire  year,  but  go  to  their  hunting  and  fishing  grounds  at  the  proper  season. 
During  the  months  of  December,  January,  and  February  we  had  quite  a  good 
school,  and  the  pupils  made  good  progress  in  their  studies,  especially  the  younger 
ones.  Some  of  them  did  not  know  a  single  letter  when  they  came  in  the  fall  and 
now  they  are  in  the  Second  Reader.  We  find  it  difficult  to  get  the  older  ones  to 
attend  with  any  degree  of  regularity,  consequently  their  progress  is  slow. 

“We  have  had  some  encouragements  in  our  work.  The  natives  have  been  very 
kind  and  even  generous  to  us,  doing  what  they  could  to  make  it  pleasant  for  us. 
But  we  have  had  some  discouragements  as  well.  Although  we  have  succeeded  in 
keeping  intoxicating  liquor  out  of  the  village,  yet  the  effects  of  its  use  elsewhere 
have  reached  us.  In  February  the  natives  became  intoxicated  at  Ketchikan,  and 
in  a  drunken  fight  a  Cape  Fox  native  struck  a  Tongas  native  on  the  head  with  a 
rifle,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died.  The  Tongas  tribe  demanded  pay  for  the 
life  of  their  tribesman  and  the  Cape  Fox  people  gave  them  200  blankets.  Then 
the  Tongas  men  demanded  the  life  of  a  Cape  Fox  chief,  as  the  murdered  man  had 
been  a  chief.  The  Cape  Fox  tribe  refused,  and  their  warriors  armed  themselves 
to  resist  the  threatened  attack  of  the  Tongas  men.  Some  of  the  latter  came  down 
from  Ketchikan  in  their  war  paint,  with  rifles  and  knives,  bent  on  killing.  The 
women  and  children  crowded  into  the  schoolhouse,  in  terror.  However,  when  the 
attacking  party  found  that  our  people  were  ready  for  them  and  determined  to 
make  a  stout  resistance,  they  returned  without  firing  a  shot.  This  trouble  is  very 
unfortunate  for  Saxman,  as  it  has  made  hard  feeling  between  the  two  tribes  that 
we  were  gathering  together,  and  I  fear  will  keep  a  number  of  the  Tongas  people 
from  coming  to  Saxman. 

“  I  found  that  there  was  great  need  for  a  store  in  our  new  settlement,  so  I  put 
up  a  suitable  building  and  sent  for  my  son,  who  laid  in  a  stock  of  goods  and  is 
conducting  a  successful  business.  It  is  a  great  help  to  the  community.” 


1610 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

Table  I. — General  statement  of  the  expenditure  of  all  appropriations 


1 

1884. 

1884-85. 

1885-86. 

1886-87. 

1887-88. 

1888-89. 

Original  fund  to  establish  schools 
in  Alaska  . . . . 

$25,000.00 

Balance  original  fund,  forward.. 

$25, 666. 66 

$24,562.23 

$11,083.23 
15, 000. 00 

$3, 443. 83 
25,000.00 

Annual  aporopriation  ..  _ 

$40,000.00 

From  fund  for  education  of  In¬ 
dians  .  .  _ 

Special  appropriation  for  Circle 
City  school  .  _ 

Total  amount  available 
each  year  . .  . 

25, 000. 00 

24,562.23 

26,083.23 

28,443.83 

40,  (XX).  00 

Salaries  of  teachers _ _ 

4.868.43 
1,200.00 
4, 262.  53 
492. 29 
125. 75 
280.00 

11,935.97 
1,200.00 
3,313.80 
4, 710.  45 
377. 14 
310.00 
71.72 
189. 32 
231.00 
300.00 

11,940.00 
1,450.00 
2, 636.  66 
214.60 
160.50 

10, 482.  72 
1, 920. 74 

1, 596. 59 
18.00 

Salaries  of  officials . . 

267. 05 
155. 87 
14.85 

School  supplies  and  equipment 

Freight  charges  .  ...  .  _ 

Repairs,  care  of  buildings,  etc. .. 

Rents  ..  . . . 

220. 00 
130.35 
220.00 

7, 410. 00 
18,  (X)0. 00 

Incidentals _ _ 

110. 71 
574.  SO 
5, 873.  45 
1,300.00 

Traveling  expenses  . . . 

Construction  of  buildings . . 

Contract  schools . . 

2, 250.00 

Total  expenditure . . . 

437. 77 

24, 562. 23 

13, 479. 00 

11,083.23 

22, 639. 40 

3, 443. 83 

24, 260. 82 

39, 998. 40 

Balance  original  fund  carried 
over . . . . . . . 

25,000.00 

Balance  all  other  appropria¬ 
tions  unexpended . . 

4, 183. 01 

1.60 

Cost  of  public  schools,  not  in¬ 
cluding  cost  of  buildings  and 
contract  schools _ _ 

437.77 

11,229.00 

23.06 

22, 108. 40 
19.33 

17,087.37 

19.09 

14, 588. 40 
15.91 

Cost  per  capita  of  enrollment _ 

EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA 


1611 


made  by  the  Government  for  education  in  Alaska  from  1884  to  1897. 


1889-90. 

1890-91. 

1891-92. 

1892-93. 

1893-94. 

1894-95. 

1895-96. 

1896-97. 

Total. 

$25,000.00 

$50, 000.00 

$50, 000. 00 

$50, 000. 00 

$40, 000. 00 

$30, 000. 00 

$30, 000. 00 

5,000.00 

$30,000.00 

5,000.00 

$30, 000. 00 

5,000.00 

1,500.00 

390, 000. 00 

15,000.00 

1,500.00 

50,000.00 

50, 000. 00 

50, 000. 00 

40, 000. 00 

30, 000. 00 

35,000.00 

35, 000. 00 

36,500.00 

431,500.00 

9, 797. 43 
2, 139. 09 
2,670. 81 
72.00 

12, 891.07 
2, 954. 19 
2,944. 13 
319. 54 
30. 00 
200.00 

12, 215. 07 
3, 280. 00 
3, 098. 22 

13, 758. 00 
3,280.00 
2, 244. 56 
338. 28 
768.00 

14,895.60 
2, 880. 00 
2, 136. 02 

17,909.39 
3,028.30 
2,939  03 
1,371.34 
1,585.55 
200. 00 
32.07 
1,527.47 
3, 435. 25 

22,062. 42 
3,180.00 
3,359. 13 
32. 55 
223. 14 
200. 00 
325. 26 
1,097.20 
3, 510. 00 

21,293.72 
3, 580. 00 
5, 544. 24 
64.04 
574. 61 
225.00 
183. 18 
683. 88 
1,850.00 

163. 749. 82 
30, 159. 37 
36, 901 . 59 
7,617.94 
5, 683. 36 
1, 925. 00 

1.326.79 

8.609.79 
26, 536. 56 

135,404.  73 

427.30 

1,411.37 
200.00 
14.00 
783. 56 

90.00 
448. 50 
444.60 
1,500.00 
31,174. 12 

11.00 

1,511.55 

1,000.00 

17,040.00 

573. 55 
1,726. 86 
28, 360. 61 

1,003. 76 

28, 980. 00 

8,000.00 

48, 336. 55 

49,  999.  95 

49,004.35 

39,951.39 

29, 820. 55 

32,028.40 

33. 989. 70 

33, 998. 67 

417, 944. 95 

1,663. 45 

.  05 

995.  65 

48.61 

179.45 

a  2, 971. 60 

al,010. 30 

a2, 501.33 

13,555.05 

15, 662. 43 
20.50 

19,912.48 

26.73 

20,024.35 

25.09 

21, 912. 39 
27.60 

21, 820.  55 
27.04 

28, 593. 15 
27.76 

30, 479. 70 
25. 46 

32,148.67 

25.00 

256, 003. 66 
23.62 

a  These  balances  are  reserved  awaiting  the  acceptance  of  the  school  building  at  Unalaska. 


1612 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

Table  II. — Statistics  of  public 


Public  schools. 

Len 

gth  of  school  term  and  enrollment  of  pupils  each  year. 

1885-86. 

1886-87. 

1887-88. 

1888-S9. 

1889-90. 

Months 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

Months 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

Months 

taught. 

A 

® 

3 

r— < 

p 

H 

Months 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

Months 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

Afognak . . 

9 

J5 

9 

24 

9 

55 

8 

38  ! 

Douglas  City  No.  1 _ 

{a) 

(a) 

9 

67 

9 

94 

5 

50 

Douglas  City  No.  2 . . . . 

(ft) 

(ft) 

(ft) 

( ft) 

8 

92 

Fort  Wrangel  .. . . 

9 

50 

9 

106 

9 

106 

9 

90 

9 

83 

Haines  .  .  . . .  . 

9 

81 

6 

43 

8 

144 

8 

128 

(ft) 

Jackson  . . 

9 

87 

9 

ill 

9 

no 

9 

105 

<1 

87 

Juneau  No.  1 . . . . . 

9 

96 

9 

236 

9 

25 

9 

36 

9 

31 

Juneau  No.  2 . . . 

(a) 

(a) 

9 

67 

9 

58 

9 

51 

Kadiak . . . . 

9 

59 

9 

81 

9 

68 

9 

67  1 

Karluk  . 

(  ft) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(ft) 

Killisnoo . . 

5 

50 

9 

125 

9 

44 

9 

'  90 

9 

32 

Klawock . . . . 

6 

184 

9 

81 

9 

75 

2 

68  1 

Kake . . . 

Sitka  No.  1... . . . . . 

9 

43 

9 

60 

9 

60 

9 

67 

9 

58 

Sitka  No.  2 . 

6 

i  i 

9 

138 

9 

60 

9 

51 

9 

83 

Unga . 

(a) 

9 

35 

9 

26 

(a) 

9 

24 

Unalaska  . . . . 

Poi't  Clarence  . . . . 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

(ft) 

(ft) 

Metlakahtla . . . . . 

St.  Lawrence  Island . . . 

Sax  man .  . 

Hoonah . . . . 

Cape  Prince  of  Wales. . 

Circle  City . . . 

Point  Barrow . 

Total.. . . 

487 

1,144 

895 

917 

764 

a  No  school. 


Note.— In  addition  to  supporting  the  above  public  schools,  the  Bureau  of  Education  pays  the 
salaries  of  three  industrial  teachers  in  the  Sitka  Industrial  School,  which  has  an  enrollment  of 
150. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA 


1613 


schools  in  Alaska  from  1S85  to  1897 . 


Length  of  school  term  and  enrollment  of  pupils  each  year. 


1890-91. 

1891-92. 

1892-93. 

1893-94. 

1894-95. 

1895-96. 

1896-97. 

m 

-1  3 

o_ce 

VH 

Enrollment. 

Months 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

Months 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

Months 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

eft 

-3  . 

-4-^ 

rH  tn 
~  0 
o  0 

*3 

Enrollment. 

Mon  t  h  s 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

Mont  li  s 

taught. 

Enrollment. 

9 

37 

r* 

i 

35 

8 

40 

9 

38 

9 

38 

9 

39 

(a) 

9 

23 

9 

25 

8 

13 

9 

30 

9 

42 

9 

57 

7 

75 

9 

68 

9 

24 

9 

108 

9 

87 

i 

26 

(a) 

8 

32 

9 

93 

9 

49 

9 

49 

9 

54 

8 

61 

9 

82 

9 

64 

(a) 

9 

89 

9 

54 

9 

41 

9 

04 

8 

60 

9 

6S 

9 

100 

9 

100 

9 

82 

8 

90 

7 

i 

80 

8 

64 

9 

81 

9 

33 

9 

26 

9 

23 

9 

25 

9 

54 

9 

70 

9 

86 

9 

51 

9 

75 

9 

61 

9 

65 

9 

50 

9 

67 

9 

70 

9 

80 

9 

69 

9 

74 

9 

59 

9 

56 

8 

49 

9 

52 

9 

33 

9 

29 

(a) 

(or,) 

(«) 

9 

27 

9 

28 

9 

68 

2 

33 

9 

137 

5 

i  i) 

(a) 

(a) 

(a) 

7 

50 

2 

38 

(a) 

(a) 

2 

50 

(a) 

(a) 

3 

60 

9 

54 

9 

59 

9 

50 

7 

43 

9 

57 

9 

40 

9 

39 

8 

55 

9 

54 

9 

48 

9 

110 

9 

180 

9 

156 

9 

154 

(a) 

8 

33 

8 

35 

9 

36 

9 

40 

9 

44 

9 

40 

9 

24 

9 

39 

9 

39 

9 

48 

(a) 

(a) 

5 

20 

7 

30 

8 

56 

9 

56 

9 

53 

6 

105 

(a) 

68 

(a) 

n 

i 

52 

9 

9 

66 

7 

31 

8 

75 

8 

144 

5 

120 

9 

104 

7 

132 

(a) 

8 

43 

0 

GO 

745 

798 

794 

807 

1,030 

1,197 

1.395 

1614 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

Table  III. — Erection  of  school  buildings  in  Alaska. 


Public  schools. 

Cost. 

Character. 

Dimen¬ 

sions. 

Date  of 
payment. 

Fund  from  which  paid. 

Sitka,  No.  1  (whites). 

$2, 000. 00 

Frame,  1  story. 

Feet. 
33*  x  40 

May  5,1888 

1884.  Original  fund  to 

Killisnoo  (natives)  ... 
Sitka, No. 2  (natives). 

231.00 

. do.  a  . 

June  29, 1887 
Dec.  14, 1888 

establish  schools  in 
Alaska. 

Do. 

1,537.20 

.  ...do . 

39*  x  25* 

1887-88.  Fund,  educa- 

Juneau,  No.  1  (whites) 

2,  ,336. 25 

. do . . 

33*  x  40 

Oct.  23,1888 

tion  of  children  in 
Alaska. 

Do. 

Juneau,  No.  2  (na- 

1.300.00 

_ do . 

30  x60 

Oct.  13,1894 

1894-95.  Fund,  educa- 

tives). 

Douglas, No.  1  ( whites) 

1. 200. 00 

_ do . 

30  x20 

May  7,1890 

tion  of  children  in 

A  1  Q  oVo 

1888-89.  Fund,  educa- 

Douglas  (Treadwell 

1,730.00 

_ do  . . 

30  x60 

Oct.  24,1896 

tion  of  children  in 
Alaska. 

1895-96.  Fund,  educa- 

mine)  (whites). 
Kake  (natives) . 

376. 86 

Log,  1  story _ 

20  x  30 

July  18, 1891 

tion  of  Indians. 

1890-91.  Fund,  educa- 

Saxman  (natives)  .... 

1,780.00 

Frame,  1  story. 

30  x  60 

Nov.  27, 1895 

tion  of  children  in 

A  1  Q  CllrQ 

1895-96.  Fund,  educa- 

Chilkat  (natives) . 

350.00 

Log,  1  story.... 

20  x  30 

July  22, 1891 

tion  of  Indians. 

1890-91.  Fund,  educa- 

Hoonah  (natives)  .... 

1,850.00 

Frame,  1  story. 

30  x  60 

Sept.  8,1897 

tion  of  children  in 
Alaska. 

1896-97.  Fund,  educa- 

Kadiak  (whites  and 

2, 700. 00 

_ do - - 

20  x30 

Dec.  6,1890 

tion  of  Indians. 

1888-89  and  1889-90. 

natives) . 

Afognak  (whites and 
natives). 

Karluk  (whites  and 
natives). 

Unalaska  (natives)... 

2,505.00 

2,  505. 00 

_  do . 

20  x  46 

. do . 

Funds,  education  of 
children  in  Alaska. 
1888-89.  Fund,  educa¬ 
tion  of  children  in 
Alaska. 

Do. 

_  do . 

20  x  46 

_ do . 

2, 135. 25 

Frame,  1*  sto- 

55  x  31 

Oct.  28,1895 

1894-95.  Fund,  educa- 

St.  Lawrence  Island 

1.000.00 

ries. 

Frame,  1  story. 

20  x  40 

Oct.  31,1891 

tion  of  Indians. 

1890-91.  Fund,  educa- 

(natives). 

Port  Clarence  (na- 

1,000.00 

Log,  1  story - 

22  x  32 

Jan.  31,1893 

tion  of  children  in 

A  1  q ck q 

1892-93.  Fund,  educa- 

tives). 

Total  cost . 

26,536.56 

tion  of  children  in 
Alaska. 

a  Burned  February  18, 1894. 


Appropriations  for  education  in  Alaska. 


First  grant  to  establish  schools,  1884  . . . .  $25,000 

Annual  grants,  school  year— 

1886- 87  15,000 

1887- 88  . 25,000 

1888- 89  . 40,000 

1889- 90  . .  50, 000 

1890- 91  . 50,000 

1891- 92  . 50,000 

1892- 93  .  40, 000 

1893- 94  . 30,000 

1894- 95  .. . 30,000 

1895- 96  . 30,000 

1896- 97  . . .  30, 000 


PERSONNEL. 

Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson,  Alaska,  general  agent  of  education  in  Alaska;  William 
Hamilton,  Pennsylvania,  assistant  agent  of  education  in  Alaska:  William  A.  Kelly, 
Pennsylvania,  superintendent  of  schools  for  the  southeastern  district  of  Alaska. 

LOCAL  SCHOOL  COMMITTEES. 

• 

Sitka,  Edward  de  Groff,  Charles  D.  Rogers,  John  G.  Brady;  Juneau,  John  G. 
Heid,  Karl  Koehler;  Douglas,  P.  H.  Fox,  Albert  Anderson;  Treadwell,  Robert 
Duncan,  jr.,  Rev.  A.  J.  Campbell;  Fort  Wrangel,  Thomas  Wilson.  Finis  Cagle; 
Kadiak,  Nicolai  Kashevaroff,  F.  Sargent,  H.  P.  Cope;  Unga,  C.  M.  Dederick, 
Michael  Dowd,  George  Levitt. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1615 


Teachers  in  public  schools. 


School. 


Teacher. 


State. 


Sitka,  No.  1 . 

Sitka,  No.  2 . 

Juneau,  No.  1. . . 

Juneau,  No.  2 . 

Hoonah . 

Douglas,  No.  1 . 

Douglas,  No.  2 . 

Fort  Wrangel . 

Jackson. . 

Saxman . 

Haines . 

Kadiak . . . 

Karluk . . . 

Unga . . . . 

Unalaska . . . 

Port  Clarence . . 

St.  Lawrence  Island . 

Cape  Prince  of  Wales . 

Circle  City . 

Point  Barrow . 

Sitka  Industrial  School .... 


Mrs.  Gertrude  Knapp  . . 

Miss  Cassia  Patton _ 

Miss  Flora  Campbell  . . . 

S.  A.  Keller . . 

Miss  Elizabeth  Saxman 
Mrs.  A.  R.  McFarland  . 
Miss  Anna  Hunnicutt . . 

Miss  Iv.  T.  Williams _ 

Miss  Anna  R.  Kelsey  ... 

Miss  C.  Baker . . 

J.  W.  Young . 

Miss  M.  J.  Young . 

Rev.  W.  W.  Warne . 

C.  C.  Solter . 

R.  B.  Dunmire . 

O.  R.  McKinney . 

Miss  M.  E.  Mellor. . . 

.Miss  M.  Salamatoff . 

T.  L.  Brevig . 

V.  C.  Gambell . . 

Thomas  Hanna . . 

Miss  Anna  Fulcomer  ... 

L.  M.  Stevenson . 

F.  E.  Frobese . 

Geo.  J.  Beck . . . 

Miss  Olga  Hilton . . 


Pennsylvania. 

Do. 

Alaska. 

Indiana. 

Pennsylvania. 

Alaska. 

California. 

Do. 

Pennsylvania. 

Alaska. 

Washington. 

Do. 

New  Jersey. 
Kansas. 

New  Jersey. 

Pennsylvania. 

New  York. 

Alaska. 

Minnesota. 

Iowa. 

California. 

Nebraska. 

Ohio. 

Germany. 

New  York. 

Alaska. 


TEACHERS  AND  EMPLOYEES  IN  CHURCH  MISSION  SCHOOLS. 

Episcopalians. 

Point  Hope. — J.  B.  Driggs,  M.  D.,  Rev.  H.  E.  Edson. 

Anvik. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Chapman,  Miss  Bertha  W.  Sabine. 

Fort  Adams. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  Jules  L.  Prevost,  Mary  V.  Glenton,  M.  D. 
Juneau. — Rev.  Henry  Beer. 

Douglas  Island. — Rev.  A.  J.  Campbell. 

Sitka. — Bishop  Peter  Trimble  Rowe. 

Circle  City. — Rev.  R.  Bowen. 


Congregational. 

Cape  Prince  of  Wales. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  T.  Lopp,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Hanna. 


Roman  Catholic. 

Kosyrevsky.— Rev.  R.  Crimont,  S.  J.,  and  Brothers  Rosati,  S.  J.;  Marcliesio,  S.  J.; 
Cunningham,  S.  J.;  Sisters  M.  Stephen,  M.  Joseph,  M.  Winfred,  M.  Anguilbert, 
M.  Heloise,  and  M.  Damascene. 

Nnlato. — Rev.  A.  Ragaru,  S.  J.;  Rev.  F.  Monroe,  S.  J.,  and  Brother  Giordano,  S.  J. 
Sliageluk. — Rev.  William  Judge,  S.  J. 

Urhhamute,  Kuskokwim  River. — Rev.  A.  Robant,  S.  J. 

St.  Josephs,  Yukon  Delta.— Rev.  J.  Treca,  S.  J.;  Rev.  A.  Parodi,  S.  J.;  Rev.  F. 
Barnum,  S.  J.;  Brothers  Twohigg,  S.  J.,  and  Negro,  S.  J.,  and  Sisters  M.  Zyphe- 
rine.  M.  Benedict,  M.  Prudence,  and  M.  Pauline. 

Juneau.— Rev.  J.  B.  Rene  and  Sisters  Mary  Zeno,  M.  Peter,  and  M.  Bousecour. 

Moravians. 

Bethel.— Rev.  and  Mrs.  John  H.  Kilbuck,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Helmick,  Miss 
Mary  Mack,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Romig,  M.  D. 

Quiegaluk.— Mr.  Ivan  Harrison  (Eskimo). 

Tidaksagamute.— Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Skuviuk  (Eskimos). 
Kalchkacliagamute.— Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Nukacliluk  (Eskimos). 


1616 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

Akaigamiut. — Mr.  Neck  (Eskimo). 

Ugavig. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  Ernst  L.  Webber. 

Quinehaha. — Mr.  L.  Kawagleg  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  Snruka  (Eskimos). 
Carmel. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  John  Sclioechert,  Rev.  S.  H.  Rock,  Misses  Mary  and 
Emma  Huber,  Miss  P.  C.  King. 

Methodist  Episcopal. 

Unalaska. — Miss  Agnes  S.  Sowle,  Miss  Sarah  J.  Rinch,  Miss  Ada  Mellor. 


Friends. 

Douglas  City. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  N.  Reploge.  (No  report.) 

Kake. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  R.  Moon.  (No  report.) 

Baptists. 

Wood  Island. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  Curtis  P.  Coe,  Miss  Alice  Thompson. 


Presbyterian. 

Point  Barrow. — L.  M.  Stevenson. 

St.  Lawrence  Island. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  C.  Gambell. 

Haines. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  W.  Warne,  Miss  Anna  M.  Sheets,  Miss  Fannie  H. 
Willard  (native). 

Hoonah. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  Alvin  C.  Austin,  Mrs.  John  W.  McFarland,  and  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Howell. 

Juneau. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  James  H.  Condit,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  L.  F.  Jones,  Miss  Sue 
Davis,  Miss  M.  E.  Gould,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  Moore  (natives). 

Sitka. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  Alonzo  E.  Austin,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  U.  P.  Shull,  Dr.  B.  K. 
Wilbur.  Mrs.  E.  C.  Heizer,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Saxman,  Mrs.  A.  Carter,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Wal¬ 
lace,  Miss  A.  J.  Manning,  Mrs.  T.  K.  Paul  (native),  Mr.  P.  Solberg. 

Fort  Wrangell.  —Rev.  and  Mrs.  Clarence  Thwing. 

Jackson. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  Loomis  Gould,  Mrs.  A.  R.  McFarland. 


Church  of  England. 

Buxton. — Bishop  and  Mrs.  Bornpas,  Rev.  Frederick  F.  Flewelling,  Miss  Mac¬ 
Donald,  Mr.  R.  J.  Bowen. 

Fort  Selkirk. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  B.  Totty. 

Rampart  House. — Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  A.  Naylor,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  T.  H.  Canharn. 


Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Covenant  of  America. 

Golovin  Bay. — N.  O.  Hultberg,  superintendent;  Mrs.  N.  O.  Hultberg,  P.  H. 
Anderson,  school-teacher;  Gabriel  Adamson  (native  worker). 

Unalaklik. — A.  E.  Karlson,  superintendent;  Mrs.  A.  E.  Karkon,  August  Ander¬ 
son.  Miss  Malvina  Johnson,  David  Johnson,  school-teachers;  Miss  Alice  Omekejook 
(an  Eskimo). 

Yakutat. — K.  J.  Hendrikson,  superintendent;  Albin  Johnson,  Mrs.  Albin  John¬ 
son,  Miss  Selma  Peterson  (at  present  in  this  country). 

Kangekosook  (out station) . — Stephan  Ivanoff,  assistant  worker. 

Kotzebue  Sound  (outstation) , — Rock,  a  native  evangelist. 


Group  of  Eskimo  Boys.  St.  Lawrence  Island,  1897.  (See  page  1605.) 

By  V.  C.  Gambell. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1617 


Alaskan  children  in  schools  and  families  in  the  States. 


Name. 

Alaskan  home. 

Robert  Casey . 

J  uneau . 

Helen  Kessler . 

Chilkat . 

Edward  Warren . . 

_ do  . . . 

David  Parker . _ . _ 

Metlakahtla 

Richard  Smith . . 

Charles  Hicks . . . 

Jackson . . 

Juneau. . . 

Amanda  Brown. . ... 

Sitka . 

Katie  Douglas . . . 

Metlakahtla . 

Lydia  Hanshaw  - . . . - 

Hoonah  . . 

Louisa  Ross  . 

Juneau . . 

Archie  Cameron . _  _  _ 

Minnie  Baker _ _ _ 

David  and  Fred  Lewis..- . 

Thomas  Hanbury . . 

Metlakahtla _ 

J oseph  Flannery . . 

Healy  Wolf . . 

Poin  t  Barrow .... 
Sitka . . 

George  Northrop. . . 

Sidney  Burr  . . . . 

John  Reinkin  . . 

Unalaska _  . 

Samuel  Kendall  Paul . . 

Sitka . 

Lablok . 

Oonaleana. . . . 

Marv  Moon . . . 

Chilkat. . 

Susie  Moon . 

.  do _ _ 

Annie  Reinkin . 

U nalaska  . 

Dora  Reinkin . . 

_ do . . 

Sospatra  Suvoroff . . 

_  do . . 

Pelagia  Tutikoff . . 

.  _  do . .  _ . 

Eudocia  Sedeck. . . 

Mary  Kedashan . 

Lottie  Hilton. . 

Elizabeth  Walker  . 

Juneau _ 

Fort  W rangeli . . . 

Jessie  Annebuck . . . 

Annie  Coogidlore  . . . 

Ruth  Eswetuck _ _ 

Adelaia  Kolilook . .  .. 

Nettie  Toniecock  . . . . 

Present  location. 


Haskell  Institute,  Lawrence,  Ivans. 
Carrier  Mills,  Ill. 

Indian  School,  Ckemawa,  Oreg. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

New  York  City. 

Newberg,  Oreg. 

Do. 

Not  known. 

Sumner,  Wash. 

Parkville,  Mo. 

Washington. 

Carlisle  Indian  School,  Pennsylvania. 
Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do 

Do 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 


PRESBYTERIAN  MISSIONS. 

The  Sitka  Industrial  School. — This  largest  of  all  the  industrial  schools  in  Alaska 
was  established  in  1880  by  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  buildings  are  admirably  located  on  an  elevation  about  200  feet  from  high- 
water  mark  about  midway  between  the  town  of  Sitka  and  Indian  River.  An 
abundant  supply  of  pure  water  is  brought  in  pipes  a  distance  of  three-fourths  of 
a  mile.  The  water  is  forced  to  a  height  of  80  feet  into  a  large  tank  by  means  of  a 
force  pump,  and  from  this  source  all  the  buildings,  including  the  hospital,  are 
supplied.  In  connection  with  the  school  are  eight  “model  cottages”  where  the 
married  couples  from  the  school  begin  housekeeping  in  “Boston  style,”  as  the 
natives  express  it.  Funds  for  the  erection  of  some  of  the  cottages  were  loaned 
(without  interest)  by  the  Indian  Rights  Association;  others  were  erected  with 
money  furnished  by  benevolent  individuals  in  sympathy  with  this  rational  method 
of  dealing  with  the  Indian  problem.  The  young  people  who  occupy  these  cottages 
have  a  life  lease  of  the  ground,  and  are  expected  to  pay  for  the  cottages  in  install¬ 
ments.  The  average  cost  of  a  cottage  is  $350.  We  expect  these  model  homes  to 
be  centers  of  purity,  from  which  wiil  radiate  influences  that  will  be  far-reaching 
and  lasting  in  their  results.  Here  family  life  is  established  and  family  ties  are 
held  sacred;  here  industry,  frugality,  perseverance,  and  thrift  are  developed;  here 
old  heathen  customs  have  no  place — no  Indian  doctors,  no  witchcraft,  no  plural 
wives,  no  drinking,  no  gambling,  no  reckless  living.  In  these  homes  the  young 
husbands  have  a  chance  to  develop  into  manly,  self-respecting  men  and  the  young 
wives  into  tidy,  industrious  women. 

Hospital. — In  1889  it  became  evident  that  a.  place  was  needed  for  the  care  of  the 
sick,  and  Mrs.  Elliott  F.  Shepard,  of  New  York,  very  liberally  donated  the  money  for 
the  erection  of  a  hospital  for  the  girls.  Later  a  boys’  hospital  was  erected  near  by. 
In  1892  it  became  evident  that  it  was  unwise  to  attempt  to  carry  on  two  separate 
establishments,  and  the  boys’  hospital  was  somewhat  enlarged  and  the  upper  floor 
devoted  to  a  ward  for  girls.  This  combined  hospital  was  opened  for  patients 
November  22, 1894.  Previous  to  1894  the  building  had  been  opened  only  to  patients 
from  the  school,  but  now  the  wards  were  opened  to  natives  from  any  part  of 

ED  97 - 102 


1618 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

Alaska.  The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  work  during  1897 :  Number  of  patients 
treated,  206:  aggregate  number  of  days  in  hospital,  2,594;  average  number  of  days, 
each  patient,  12.5;  number  of  prescriptions  to  in-patients,  2,634;  percentage  of 
deaths,  3;  unimproved,  2;  improved,  12;  cured,  83.  Causes  of  death:  Tuberculosis, 
3:  capillary  bronchitis,  3.  Number  of  out-patients  treated  in  doctor's  office,  1,119; 
number  of  operations  performed,  in-patient,  38;  total  number  of  prescriptions 
made  since  June,  1894,  10,581. 

Language. — The  children  speedily  acquire  an  English-speaking  vocabulary  when 
strictly  prohibited  from  using  their  native  dialects.  For  five  years  English  has 
been  the  exclusive  language  of  the  school.  Experience  has  removed  all  doubt  as  to 
its  expediency.  The  use  of  their  vernaculars  (Thlinget,  Tsimpshean,  Hydia)  seri¬ 
ously  retards  their  progress  and  does  them  no  essential  benefit.  No  schoolbooks 
have  ever  been  printed  in  any  of  their  native  dialects.  Each  distinct  people  has  a 
dialect  of  its  own,  local  in  character,  and  in  course  of  time  the  vernacular  dialects 
of  the  tribes  of  southeastern  Alaska  will  become  obsolete  and  English  will  every¬ 
where  prevail.  As  a  matter  of  preservation  the  Society  of  Alaskan  N  atural  History 
and  Ethnology  has  lately  commenced  to  reduce  the  Thlinget  language  to  writing, 
which  we  hope  to  accomplish  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mrs.  Paul  and  Miss 
Willard. 

Culinary  department. — This  department  is  a  place  of  great  interest  to  the  pupils, 
both  boys  and  girls,  small  and  large.  All  want  to  come  into  the  kitchen  to  work 
and  to  learn  to  cook.  The  boys  wish  to  know  how  to  cook  good  meals  and  bake 
good  bread,  pies,  and  cakes.  They  often  ask  if  they  can  come  into  the  kitchen  to 
work,  and  this  stirs  up  a  spirit  of  emulation  among  the  girls  so  that  they  beg  to 
work  in  the  kitchen;  consequently,  there  is  no  lack  of  those  who  desire  to  work  in 
these  departments. 

In  the  bakery  the  work  is  too  heavy  for  the  girls,  and  is  done  entirely  by  the  boys. 
During  the  past  year  they  have  averaged  140  pounds  of  flour  baked  daily,  turning 
out  from  90  to  100  loaves  of  delicious  bread  a  day.  When  the  girls  serve  in  the 
kitchen,  they  bake  the  pies  and  cakes  and  the  boys  in  their  turn  do  the  same,  which 
is  during  the  winter  season,  that  being  the  hard  period  of  work.  Much  attention 
has  been  given  to  the  quality  of  food,  and  in  the  past  few  years  it  has  been  greatly 
improved.  One  great  victory  won  in  the  battle  of.  work  in  these  departments  is 
cleanliness.  In  this  direction  there  has  been  a  vast  improvement  made.  It  is  a 
pleasure  now  to  be  with  them  and  hear  them  say:  “Oh,  this  must  be  very  clean;  I 
want  it  to  be  clean  and  nice.”  Viewing  these  departments,  they  have  made  rapid 
progress  in  the  last  year. 

The  kitchen  is  supplied  with  both  hot  and  cold  water.  The  greatest  obstacle  in 
the  work  of  these  departments  is  the  annoyance  of  having  green  wood  much  of  the 
time. 

The  sewing  room  has  been  enlarged  and  nicely  papered.  The  light  is  admitted 
from  the  east,  so  that  they  get  the  benefit  of  the  morning  sun.  This  department 
is  well  equipped,  and  the  amount  of  work  done  each  week  is  surprising.  The  girls 
over  7  years  of  age  knit  their  own  stockings.  In  the  sewing  department  they  learn 
quickly  and  accomplish  much.  Sewing  machines  are  in  daily  use,  and  the  girls 
soon  learn  to  use  them.  Almost  every  graduate  has  a  machine  of  her  own. 

All  the  shoes  are  made  by  the  boys,  apprenticed  under  the  direction  of  a  master 
workman.  Considerable  custom  work  is  also  done. 

Gardening. — Mr.  John  Gamble,  gardener  and  general  worker,  has  three  medium¬ 
sized  plats  of  arable  land.  One  garden,  which  has  been  cultivated  for  several 
years,  produces  lettuce,  beets,  peas,  and  onions  in  abundance.  Of  the  other  gar¬ 
dens,  which  are  new,  one  is  planted  in  potatoes  and  the  other  sown  in  turnips. 
Cereals,  for  lack  of  warmth  and  sunshine,  do  not  ripen.  Currants,  rhubarb,  rasp¬ 
berries,  cauliflower,  and  celery  are  easily  grown.  Fruits,  such  as  apples,  x>lnms, 
and  pears,  have  not  been  fully  tested,  but  it  is  believed  that  they  could  be  grown 
with  success. 

Blacksmithing  can  hardly  be  classed  among  the  trades  by  which  a  man  can  earn 
a  living  in  Alaska,  yet  there  is  much  work  in  this  line,  doing  repairs  about  the 
mission,  mending  machinery,  repairing  stoves,  making  stovepipes  and  camp  hooks, 
sharpening  tools,  and  doing  miscellaneous  jobs  for  the  citizens  of  the  quaint  little 
capital.  Soldering  and  a  little  tin  work  are  also  done.  The  constant  wear  and 
tear  in  most  of  the  work  departments  require  much  repairing,  nearly  all  of  which 
is  done  by  the  boys. 

Painting. — Two  or  three  of  the  boys  have  received  instruction  in  this  useful 
branch  of  industry,  and  are  kept  busy  painting,  papering,  glazing,  and  calci- 
mining. 

Recreations  and  amusements. — The  home  life  of  the  school  is  particularly  pleas¬ 
ant.  Their  games  and  plays  are  such  as  white  children  enjoy,  consisting  of  games 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1619 


of  marbles,  baseball,  townball,  playing  soldier,  flying  kites,  sailing  ships,  target 
practice  with  bow  and  arrow,  authors,  checkers,  dominoes,  rope  jumping,  hide- 
and-seek.  Coasting  and  skating  are  indulged  in  by  both  sexes.  Then  there  is  an 
organ  for  the  girls  and  another  for  the  boys,  and  violins,  guitars,  fifes,  bugles,  and 
the  irrepressible  mouth  organs  are  among  the  amusements  and  recreations  of 
each  day. 

A  rational  system  of  discipline  is  easily  and  well  maintained. 

Those  in  charge  aim  to  make  the  industrial  training  school  just  what  its  name 
implies.  Manual  occupations  are  in  reach  of  the  pupils  as  fast  as  they  acquire 
sufficient  knowledge  of  the  English  language  to  enable  them  to  prosecute  the  learn¬ 
ing  of  a  trade  with  success.  To  accomplish  anything  permanent  and  of  material 
benefit  in  the  way  of  mastering  trades  they  must  first  acquire  a  fair,  common- 
school  education,  before  which  they  are  not  prepared  to  serve  an  intelligent 
apprenticeship.  After  certain  initiatory  advancement  has  been  made,  industrial 
training  is  then  made  coequal  with  schoolroom  work.  While  the  boys  are  taught 
trades,  the  girls  are  taught  all  branches  of  household  industry.  Indeed,  the 
appointments  and  work  of  the  school  are  such  as  to  familiarize  them  with  Ameri¬ 
can  ways  of  living  and  to  ingraft  into  their  lives  industrious  habits. 

The  steam  laundry,  with  its  labor-saving  machinery,  relieves  the  teachers  and 
pupils  of  much  hard  drudging  work  incident  to  a  school  of  this  character,  where 
water  and  soap  must  be  used  in  such  copious  quantities. 

Carpentry  department. — All  of  the  buildings  on  the  mission  premises,  twenty  or 
more,  have  been  built  by  boys  apprenticed  to  this  trade,  under  the  supervision  of  a 
competent  foreman.  Shopwork  consists  in  the  making  of  furniture,  bookcases, 
clothespr  esses,  screens,  chests,  curtain  poles,  picture  frames,  hand  sleds,  bric-a-brac 
work,  and  undertaking.  The  outdoor  work  consists  of  joining,  framing,  contract¬ 
ing,  and  building.  Sailmaking  and  boat  building  are  among  the  useful  industries 
of  this  department.  Among  our  carpenter  apprentices  a  number  have  shown  spe¬ 
cial  aptitude  as  artists  and  designers.  The  spirit  of  earnest  industry  is  most  praise¬ 
worthy,  and  the  boys  appreciate  their  opportunities. 

In  the  winter  of  1887-88  the  Society  of  Alaskan  Natural  History  and  Ethnology 
was  organized  and  incorporated.  The  purpose  is  to  collect  and  preserve  in  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  Sitka  Industrial  and  Training  School  specimens  of  the  natural  history 
and  ethnology  of  Alaska. 

In  addition  to  the  Sitka  Industrial  School,  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Home  Mis¬ 
sions  maintains  stations  at  Point  Barrow,  St.  Lawrence  Island,  Haines,  Hoonah, 
Juneau,  Fort  Wrangell,  and  Jackson. 

MORAVIAN  MISSIONS. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  Rev.  J.  Taylor  Hamilton,  secretary  of  the  Moravian 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  for  the  following  sketch  of  the  progress 
of  Moravian  mission  work  in  Alaska: 

Moravian  missionary  and  educational  work  in  Alaska  began  in  1884,  at  the  sug¬ 
gestion  of  Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson.  After  a  preliminary  tour  of  exploration,  the 
then  practically  unknown  region  of  the  Kuskoquim  and  Nushagak  rivers  was 
selected.  To  establish  the  work  two  ordained  missionaries,  the  Revs.  William 
Weinland  and  John  Kilbuck,  were  sent  out  with  their  wives,  together  with  a  lay 
assistant,  Mr.  Hans  Torgersen,  who  was  to  superintend  the  erection  of  the  needful 
houses.  Mr.  Kilbuck  is  a  full-blooded  Indian,  the  descendant  of  a  long  line  of 
distinguished  Delaware  Christians,  and,  like  his  colleague,  *was  a  graduate  of  the 
Moravian  College  and  Theological  Seminary  at  Bethlehem.  Before  one  house  had 
been  erected  Mr.  Torgersen  was  accidentally  drowned  in  the  Kuskoquim  River. 
Before  any  converts  had  been  won  Mr.  Weinland  and  his  family  had  to  withdraw, 
owing  to  seriously  impaired  health,  later  to  labor  in  California.  For  a  while 
Kilbuck  and  his  wife  held  out  alone,  contending  with  the  severities  of  a  climate 
which  in  winter  sometimes  reached  60  of  cold  below  zero,  and  with  the  difficul¬ 
ties  of  the  Eskimo  language.  But  God  blessed  their  zeal  and  fidelity.  The  first 
sign  of  any  reward  for  their  labor  was  given  on  Good  Friday,  1887.  In  the  best 
Eskimo  at  their  command  the  missionaries  had  been  striving  to  acquaint  the  peo¬ 
ple  with  the  love  of  God,  and  now  he  was  telling-  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
cleanseth  from  all  sin,  when  an  old  Eskimo  interrupted  him:  “  Thanks.  W e,  too, 
want  our  badness  washed  away.” 

From  the  inception  of  the  mission  attention  has  been  paid  to  education,  and  at 
the  three  main  stations — Bethel  and  Ougavig,  on  the  Kuskoquim,  and  Carmel,  on 
theNuahagak — industrial  schools  have  been  steadily  maintained,  except  when  tor 
brief  intervals  lack  of  provisions,  after  a  season  of  failure  in  the  catch  of  salmon, 
has  compelled  a  temporary  intermission.  The  schools  at  Bethel  and  at  Carmel  aie 


1620 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 


boarding  schools;  that  at  Ougavig  a  day  school.  The  two  former  during  certain 
years  in  the  past  have  been  Government  contract  schools.  Two  boys  were  for  a 
period  entered  at  the  Government  school  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  and  are  now  serving  as 
assistant  missionaries.  The  pupils  at  Bethel  average  about  30,  at  Carmel  35,  and 
at  Ougavig  15. 

At  present  15  missionaries  are  in  this  field.  On  the  staff  are  a  graduate  of  the 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Philadelphia — Dr.  Herman  Romig — and  two  profes¬ 
sional  nurses.  Four  hundred  and  seventy  patients  were  cared  for  at  Bethel  during 
the  last  year,  for  which  a  report  has  been  received.  Three  principal  stations  are 
occupied  and  seven  outposts.  Twenty-seven  native  assistants  cooperate  in  the 
care  of  625  converts,  young  and  old.  On  January  30, 1897,  the  first  fruits  of  home 
mission  work  among  the  Eskimos  themselves  were  gathered  in  the  baptism  of  a 
convert  at  a  village  80  miles  from  Bethel,  up  to  that  time  served  by  two  native 
assistant  missionaries.  For  several  years  the  mission  at  Bethel  has  had  a  steam 
sawmill  in  operation,  the  natives  bringing  logs  and  receiving  planks  in  exchange. 
It  is  hoped  that  thus  decent  houses  will  gradually  supplant  the  underground 
hovels  of  a  former  time. 

When  the  missionaries  came  they  found  the  Eskimos  filthy,  degraded,  cruel,  the 
prey  of  the  medicine  men  or  shamans,  given  over  to  superstition,  seeing  evil  spirits 
in  everything,  without  knowledge  of  God  and  without  hope  for  the  future.  In  the 
reeking  atmosphere  of  their  underground  kashimas.  16  to  24  feet  square,  three  or 
four  families,  two  to  three  dozen  persons,  might  cower  over  the  fat  lamps.  Privacy 
and  decency  were  unknown.  The  standard  of  morality  was  utterly  low.  The 
aged  and  the  sick  were  taken  out  and  exposed  to  death  by  cold  or  starvation,  lest 
a  kashima  should  become  haunted  by  death  occurring  within.  The  persons  of 
the  people  swarmed  with  vermin.  Now  the  decencies  of  family  life  and  the  pro¬ 
prieties  of  civilization  are  beginning  to  be  prized.  Heathen  rites  have  practically 
ceased  through  a  considerable  stretch  of  country. 

That  the  Eskimo  will  ever  become  civilized  in  a  mode  patterned  after  that  of  the 
European  or  American  is  scarcely  to  be  expected.  Climatic  conditions  and  environ¬ 
ment  are  against  this.  But  it  is  hoped  he  will  imitate  the  culture  and  civilization 
of  the  Laplanders.  The  Moravian  mission  is,  therefore,  deeply  interested  in  the  suc¬ 
cess  of  the  effort  to  distribute  the  domesticated  reindeer  throughout  Alaska,  the 
benevolent  project  with  which  Dr.  Sheldon  Jackson  is  so  closely  identified.  Thi3 
is  desired,  both  as  a  civilizing  medium  and  as  likely  to  afford  a  more  assured 
means  of  subsistence  than  the  precarious  products  of  the  chase  and  the  uncertain 
returns  of  toil  on  the  waters.  But  it  is  also  earnestly  desired  as  likely  to  afford  a 
more  regular  and  frequent  means  of  communication  and  transportation.  At  pres¬ 
ent  an  exchange  of  letters  between  the  mission  and  its  schools  on  the  one  hand 
and  the  church  at  home  on  the  other  can  be  counted  upon  with  certainty  only  once 
a  year. 

CONGREGATIONAL  MISSIONS. 

The  Rev.  C.  J.  Ryder,  corresponding  secretary  of  the  American  Missionary 
Association  of  the  Congregational  Church,  has  prepared  the  following  statement 
with  regard  to  the  work  of  the  society  at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales: 

This  station  is  under  the  care  of  the  American  Missionary  Association,  the 
society  of  the  Congregational  churches.  Work  at  this  station  was  begun  in  1890. 

Geographically. — Cape  Prince  of  Wales  is  situated  on  the  most  western  point  of 
mainland  in  the  United  States,  only  a  few  miles  from  the  Arctic  Circle.  The 
country  is  broken  and  mountainous  running  back  from  the  shore  of  Bering  Strait. 
Much  driftwood  is  available  here  and  is  utilized  by  the  missionaries  in  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  their  cottages.  The  station  holds  a  good  position  strategically  for  reach¬ 
ing  the  Eskimo  in  the  interior  of  Alaska.  The  Eskimo  residents  at  Cape  Prince 
of  Wales  are  especially  active  and  energetic  for  people  of  this  race.  They  are 
counted  among  the  great  smugglers  of  the  North.  In  former  reports  in  this 
Bureau  reference  has  been  made  to  this  fact.  From  Cape  Prince  of  Wales  the 
natives  cross  the  straits  and  carry  on  trade  in  “  deer  skins  and  sinew  and  wooden 
ware  of  Alaska,”  which  they  exchange  for  walrus,  ivory,  skins  of  tame  reindeer, 
and  whale  blubber  of  Siberia.”  They  also  secure  in  this  way  “firearms  and 
whisky,”  neither  of  which  prove  very  important  factors  in  their  Christian 
civilization. 

Missionary  force.— Messrs.  W.  T.  Lopp  and  H.  R.  Thornton  were  the  first  mis¬ 
sionaries  in  this  field.  They  opened  the  work  at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales  in  1890. 
Two  frame  buildings  were  erected.  One  of  these  was  occupied  as  their  home  and 
the  other  was  used  for  school  and  chapel  purposes.  These  buildings  are  still  stand¬ 
ing.  Mr.  Thornton  was  murdered  August  19,  1893.  His  murder  was  committed 
by  some  native  desperadoes  who  were  soon  after  punished  by  the  Eskimos  them- 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1621 


selves.  His  death  did  not  indicate  any  opposition  on  the  part  of  the  natives  gen¬ 
erally  to  the  work.  Mr.  Lopp  and  his  wife  have  continued  work  in  the  field  until 
the  present,  and  are  still  there.  Mr.  Lopp  has  proved  very  efficient  in  his  admin¬ 
istration.  He  has  been  commissioned  by  the  United  States  Government  to  con¬ 
duct  important  investigation  along  the  coast  to  the  north  of  Bering  Strait,  He 
has  also  had  charge  of  the  reindeer  herd  assigned  by  the  Government  to  this  sta¬ 
tion,  and  has  been  commissioned  to  go  to  the  north  upon  an  expedition  to  relieve 
the  whalers  that  are  locked  in  the  ice. 

Present  condition  of  the  station. — From  the  last  reports  received  by  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Missionary  Association  we  gather  the  following  facts  concerning  the  present 
condition  of  the  work  at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales.  Mr.  Lopp  had  been  absent  in  the 
States  for  some  months  and  was  most  cordially  received  by  the  natives  upon  his 
return.  He  entered  immediately  upon  preparation  for  the  winter.  Driftwood 
for  fuel  and  building  purposes  was  rafted  down  the  coast,  which  was  a  consider¬ 
able  undertaking.  Mr.  Lopp  reports  to  the  American  Missionary  Association  as 
follows: 

A  log  house  22  by  24  was  finished  and  divided  into  kitchen,  two  bedrooms,  a 
storeroom,  and  hall.  During  the  winter  the  house  is  buried  in  snowdrifts  to  the 
roof,  making  our  side  windows  almost  useless.  Two  sides  and  roof  were  sodded, 
a  sod  lean-to  20  by  12  was  built  onto  the  front  in  October,  which  is  used  as  a  vesti¬ 
bule,  woodhouse,  and  carpenter  shop.  This  temporary  inclosure,  or  entrance  as  we 
call  it,  was  lighted  by  sky-windows,  made  of  clear  blocks  of  ice.  This  house  has 
proved  decidedly  the  most  comfortable  and  convenient  house  we  have  ever  used  in 
the  Arctics.  A  house  for  herders  was  built  near  ours.  It  is  the  same  style  as  ours 
and  has  been  used  as  a  home  for  them  when  in  from  the  camp.  It  is  hoped  that 
these  two  buildings  will  prove  object  lessons  which  will  not  be  lost  to  this  settle¬ 
ment.  A  house  which  they  can  use  both  winter  and  summer,  a  compromise 
between  their  underground  and  the  civilized  house,  is  undoubtedly  what  they 
need . 

“Mr.  Thornton’s  monument,  which  was  purchased  in  San  Francisco  with  funds 
contributed  by  Southport,  Conn.,  friends,  gave  these  natives  a  much  needed  object 
lesson  in  respecting  the  dead.  Before  taking  the  monument  up  to  the  grave,  we 
exhibited  it  at  a  Sunday  service  in  the  Storrs  Chapel,  explaining  to  the  people  its 
object.  We  also  told  them  about  visiting  Mrs.  Thornton  and  her  little  son  and 
the  kind  words  of  greeting  which  she  sent  to  them  and  the  prayerful  interest  which 
she  had  in  them  all. 

“  To  think  of  Mr.  Thornton  lying  in  an  Arctic  grave  recalled  to  us  that  he  often 
expressed  a  sentiment  so  similar  to  that  of  the  African  missionary  who  is  said  to 
have  compared  pioneer  mission  work  to  building  the  foundation  for  a  great  bridge, 
and,  God  willing,  was  content  to  lie  in  an  African  grave  as  one  of  the  unseen 
foundation  stones. 

“A  big  Christmas  box  sent  by  Dr.  Storrs’s  missionary  boys  (may  their  tribe 
increase),  containing  knit  caps,  nuts,  pocketknives,  beads,  dolls,  etc.,  a  box  of  ship 
biscuit  contributed  by  Mrs.  Thornton,  and  dates  and  raisins  from  our  own  supplies 
on  Christmas  made  it  a  memorable  day— Christmas,  1896. 

“  Since  1894  no  prizes  have  been  given  for  attendance  at  school.  One  serious 
objection  to  the  prize  (biscuit)  system  was  that  it  educated  them  to  think  we  were 
under  obligation  to  them  for  attending  school. 

“  The  religious  work. — Two  sermons  have  been  preached  almost  every  Sunday. 
The  Sunday  school  had  an  average  attendance  of  more  than  100  during  the  winter 
months.  Having  but  four  teachers,  the  classes  were  often  large.  W e  hope  some 
of  the  advanced  pupils  will  soon  be  able  to  take  classes.  It  was  very  gratifying 
and  sometimes  amusing  to  see  the  interest  taken  in  the  collection  boxes  every 
Sunday.  Lead,  powder,  caps,  cartridges,  spoons,  matches,  muskrat,  ermine,  and 
squirrel  skins  were  contributed.  We  expect  to  use  this  collection  to  build  a  small 
mission  house  in  the  neighboring  settlement  where  driftwood  is  plentiful. 

“  Reindeer  herd. — The  mission  herd  of  reindeer  has  passed  successfully  through 
the  three  winters  and  now  numbers  about  360.  It  lias  been  free  from  diseases 
which  have  afflicted  seriously  the  Government  herd  at  Port  Clarence.  To  milk  a 
cow  they  lasso  her  and  throw  her  to  the  ground.  The  milk  lias  no  unfavorable  or 
distasteful  flavor  and  is  highly  prized  by  us  who  have  had  to  depend  upon  the  ‘  tin 
cow’  so  many  years.  The  herders  live  in  deerskin  tents.  Our  herders  consist  of 
six  Eskimos.  With  but  $54  worth  of  goods  and  supplies,  it  required  clo^e  manag¬ 
ing  to  feed  and  clothe  nine  people  one  year.  These  six  herders  should  have  been 
permitted  to  devote  their  entire  time  to  herding,  driving,  and  breaking,  but  the 
limited  amount  of  supplies  compelled  us  to  use  one  or  two  in  turns  at  the  Cape  to 
hunt  and  work.  With  our  nets  and  rifles  we  got  some  white  whale,  seals,  and 
fish,  and  in  June  walruses,  which  kept  them  fairly  supplied.  Each  of  them  now 


1622 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

owns  between  35  and  45  deer  and  we  hope  in  a  year  or  two,  wThen  they  can  live 
independent  of  mission  support,  that  the  influence  which  they  will  exert  as  Chris¬ 
tian  deermen  will  do  much  toward  leading  the  natives  along  this  coast  ‘out of 
darkness  into  light.’  What  a  pleasure  when  visiting  in  camp  to  see  them  bow 
their  heads  and  offer  thanks  to  God  before  eating;  to  lead  them  in  a  little  prayer 
meeting  where  every  one  joins  and  to  sing  with  them  ‘A  tent  or  a  cottage,  why 
should  I  care?’  Go-ten-um,  who  is  about  21,  is  considered  the  best  deerman.  He 
is  of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind  and  made  the  wood  cuts  for  the  Eskimo  Bulletin. 
A  trip  on  reindeer  sleds  with  Kiv-yearz-ruk  through  the  mountains  to  Port  Clar¬ 
ence  was  made  in  January.  While  there  we  had  an  opportunity  to  visit  the  Gov¬ 
ernment  herd,  talk  with  the  Laplanders,  and  assist  in  two  services  on  Sunday, 
which  were  well  attended.  Our  people  have  not  prospered  as  in  previous  winters. 
A  threatened  epidemic  in  the  fall  together  with  the  ‘  hoodoos  ’  which  followed, 
partly  accounted  for  this.  Distilling  and  drunkenness  throughout  the  year  often 
prevented  many  from  making  the  most  of  a  favorable  wind.  The  walrus  season 
has  not  been  favorable,  but  at  this  writing  they  have  all  well  filled  meat  houses. 
We  rejoice  that  the  reindeer  herd  will  give  a  livelihood  to  the  people  for  the  next 
few  years,  and  this  influence  may  be  far-reaching.  In  conclusion,  we  wish  to  thank 
our  many  friends  for  their  kind  letters  and  their  prayerful  interest  in  this  work. 
We  feel  esjiecially  grateful  to  the  few  churches  and  persons  who  have  shown  by 
their  gifts  that  they  believed  that  these  poor  Eskimos  were  included  in  Matthew 
xxviii,  19.  Surely  none  can  be  more  in  need  of  the  gospel  than  these.  With  this 
burden  upon  our  hearts,  we  pray  God  that  in  the  future  this  mission  may  receive 
the  support  which  we  think  its  importance  deserves.  ” 

BAPTIST  MISSIONS. 

Mrs.  James  McWhinnie,  superintendent  of  the  Alaska  Work  of  the  Woman's 
American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  sends  the  following  account  of  the  soci¬ 
ety's  work  on  Wood  Island: 

In  1884  it  was  decided  that  the  Baptists  should  establish  a  mission  in  Alaska. 
From  Mount  St.  Elias  to  the  Sliumagin  Islands,  with  Kadiak  as  headquarters,  was 
set  aside  as  Baptist  ground. 

September  22,  1886,  marks  the  beginning  of  Baptist  missions  in  Alaska.  From 
that  time  until  1890  the  work  was  done  by  teachers  appointed  and  supported  by 
the  Government  and  commissioned  by  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  E.  Roscoe,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  A.  Wirth  (supported  in  part  by  Dr. 
Jackson  and  friends  in  Seattle),  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faodorf  were  at  different  times 
Government  teachers.  Tlie^e  all  advocated  the  establishment  of  an  orphanage  as 
the  true  way  of  doing  missionary  work  in  Alaska. 

This  work  was  undertaken  by  the  Woman's  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society  of  New  England.  The  frame  of  a  building  was  purchased  and  forwarded 
to  Alaska  in  the  summer  of  1892.  In  March,  1893,  Mr.  W.  E.  Roscoe  was  sent  by 
the  society  to  the  territory  to  select  location  and  conduct  the  work. 

July  4,  1893,  the  first  child  was  received  into  the  orphanage.  For  two  years  Mr. 
Roscoe  labored  earnestly  in  the  development  of  the  work,  during  which  time  24 
children  received  their  care  in  the  home. 

In  the  summer  of  1893  Miss  Carrie  Currant  was  sent  as  teacher,  but  was  com¬ 
pelled  to  return  in  November  on  account  of  ill  health.  In  September,  1894,  Miss 
Lulu  C.  Goodcliild  arrived  as  reenforcement,  and  continued  with  the  work  until 
her  marriage,  July,  1897.  Mr.  Roscoe  having  resigned  to  return  to  the  States, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  P.  Coe  were  appointed  to  take  charge,  and  arrived  on  the  field 
June  5,  1895.  In  the  following  September  Miss  Hattie  B.  Snow  was  added  to  the 
force  of  workers,  but  was  compelled  by  broken  health  to  return  to  her  home  in 
August,  1897. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coe  found  18  children  in  the  home.  Since  that  time  14  have  been 
added. 

These  children  have  been  received  upon  different  conditions.  Some  have  been 
apprenticed  by  their  parents  to  the  mission  until  they  become  of  age;  others — 
waifs — have  been  apprenticed  by  the  United  States  commissioner;  others  still  are 
received  from  parents  who  pay  a  nominal  charge  for  their  care. 

The  boys  are  taught  gardening,  use  of  tools,  care  of  stock,  etc.  They  cut  the 
trees  for  wood,  saw  and  chop  them  up  for  use,  carry  water,  fish  and  hunt.  The 
girls  are  taught  to  wash,  iron,  scrub,  sew,  bake,  cook,  mend,  and  care  for  the 
house. 

Religious  services  are  held  every  day,  and  in  these  the  children  take  great  inter¬ 
est  and  enjoyment.  They  sing  and  recite  Scripture,  and  make  the  services  largely 
their  own. 


Miss  M  E.  Mellor,  Teacher,  and  Pupils,  Unalaska. 

Woman's  Home  Mission  Society  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1623 


In  the  past  year  and  a  half  several  improvements  that  add  much  to  the  value 
and  appearance  of  the  premises  have  been  added.  First  was  built  a  woodshed  20 
by  3(  feet,  for  storing  and  cutting  wood,  with  rooms  above  for  play  rooms,  shop, 
and  storage— a  very  essential  improvement  when  we  consider  the  number  of  rainy 
days  for  which  Alaska  is  noted.  Next  followed  a  cottage,  situated  at  a  distance 
of  about  two  minutes'  walk  from  the  orphanage.  Last,  but  more  important  than 
the  others,  came  the  chapel.  It  contains  one  room  26  feet  square,  one  12  by  20 
feet,  and  a  tower  8  feet  square.  The  whole  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  $600.  The 
Woman's  American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society  p  lid  one  half,  the  other  half 
being  raised  on  Wood  Island,  or  sent  by  friends  'ior  that  purpose.  The  North 
American  Commercial  Company,  which  does  business  on  this  island,  furnished 
the  labor  gratis. 

July  26,  1896,  the  Wood  Island  Baptist  Church  was  organized  with  six  mem¬ 
bers.  Since  that  time  one,  the  oldest  girl  of  the  orphanage,  has  been  added  by 
baptism. 

The  day  school  is  open  to  the  children  of  the  native  villagers.  Last  year,  not¬ 
withstanding  the  opposition  of  the  priest,  21  of  them  were  enrolled.  For  the  past 
two  winters  night  school  also  has  been  held  for  the  benefit  of  young  men  and 
youths.  The  attendance  was  gratifying. 

Last  year  it  was  Mr.  Coe's  privilege,  during  the  summer,  to  preach  to  the  peo¬ 
ple  at  Kadiak  every  other  Sunday.  The  services  were  appreciated  and  would  have 
been  renewed  this  summer,  but,  being  the  only  man  on  the  place,  demands  on  him 
for  manual  labor  made  it  impossible  to  do  so.  The  society  has  already  voted  to 
employ  an  industrial  teacher,  and  after  he  is  secured,  there  will  be  more  time  for 
outside  missionary  work.  The  cost  of  our  present  work  is  estimated  at  $4,500 
annually. 

METHODIST  MISSIONS. 

The  Jesse  Lee  Home ,  Unalaska. — In  September  the  home  was  able  to  be  removed 
from  the  rented  building,  which  it  had  occupied  for  several  years,  into  new  and 
commodious  quarters  of  its  own.  The  building  is  the  admiration  of  all  residents. 
It  is  a  large,  two-and-a-half-story  building,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment  schoolhouse  is  the  most  pretentious  building  in  the  place.  It  is  in  charge 
of  two  Methodist  ladies,  Miss  Agnes  L.  Sowle,  of  Hagaman,  N.  Y. ,  being  princi¬ 
pal,  and  Miss  Sarah  J.  Rinch,  of  Canada,  being  her  assistant.  Residing  under  the 
same  roof  and  giving  some  assistance  outside  of  school  hours  are  the  sisters 
Misses  Elizabeth  and  Ada  Mellor,  who  teach  the  Government  school. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  30  children  in  the  home  belonging  to  the  Aleut 
race.  During  the  last  summer  one  of  the  girls  in  the  home  was  taken  at  the 
expense  of  a  wealthy  citizen  of  Chicago  to  that  city  to  be  educated,  and  three  or 
four  others  were  sent  to  Captain  Pratt’s  celebrated  school  at  Carlisle,  Pa. 

The  school  is  doing  a  large  preparatory  work  for  that  people.  If  in  the  near 
future  there  shall  be  any  native  teachers  in  the  Aleutian  Islands,  if  there  shall  be 
any  native  Christian  homes  and  native  Christian  parents,  they  are  now  in  process 
of  being  created  by  that  school — the  Jesse  Lee  Memorial  Home  at  Unalaska  being 
the  only  evangelizing  influence  at  work  among  the  Aleuts  of  Alaska. 

When  in  November  the  revenue  cutter  Bear  was  ordered  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  to 
try  and  land  a  relief  party  to  go  overland  to  the  400  whalers  imprisoned  in  the  ice 
and  in  danger  of  starvation,  north  of  Point  Barrow,  Cajitain  Tuttle  announced 
through  the  newspapers  of  Seattle  that  he  would  be  very  glad  to  carry  free  of 
freight  any  Christmas  presents  that  the  citizens  might  wish  to  send  to  Unalaska 
for  the  destitute  Aleut  children  and  the  children  in  the  Methodist  Home.  The 
project  was  taken  up  with  enthusiasm  by  the  teachers  in  the  public  schools  of 
that  city,  and  the  children  in  those  schools  made  Christmas  presents  to  the  chil¬ 
dren  in  Unalaska.  To  the  surprise  of  every  one,  about  two  tons  of  dolls  drums, 
whistles,  jumping  jacks,  games,  picture  books,  candy,  etc.,  were  sent  in,  so  that 
the  friends  of  the  mission  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  Chrismas  was  to 
be  a  very  happy  day  at  that  distant  mission. 

Unalaska  Harbor  being  the  natural  stopping  place  for  vessels  passing  from 
Seattle  or  San  Francisco  to  the  Yukon  River,  has  grown  into  new  importance 
through  the  gold  discoveries,  so  much  so  that  this  present  winter  six  iron  steam¬ 
ers  are  being  built  in  its  harbor,  employing  some  two  or  three  hundred  white 
workman,  and  there  ought  to  be  a  Methodist  minister  stationed  there  that  these 
men  as  well  as  the  natives  might  have  gospel  privileges. 

The  coming  and  going  of  so  many  sailors  make  it  very  important  that  a  hos¬ 
pital  should  be  established  at  that  place,  which  could  be  very  appropriately  done 
in  connection  with  the  Methodist  mission  work. 


1G24 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

THE  SWEDISH  MISSION  COVENANT’S  MISSIONS  IN  ALASKA. 

The  Rev.  D.  Nyvall  contributes  the  following  account  of  the  operations  of  the 
society  at  Yakutat,  Unalaklik,  and  Golovin  Bay: 

The  mission  work,  now  carried  on  in  Alaska  by  the  Swedish  Mission  Covenant 
of  America,  was  begun  by  the  Mission  Covenant  of  Sweden.  It  was  at  the  annual 
conference  in  Stockholm  in  1886  that  the  Swedish  Covenant  decided  to  begin  its 
mission  among  the  heathen  people  in  Alaska.  They  then  sent  out  Mr.  A.  E.  Karl- 
son  and  Mr.  Adolph  Lydell  to  begin  missions  among  the  Alaskans. 

On  the  25th  of  June,  1887,  Mr.  Karlson  arrived  at  St.  Michaels,  in  northern 
Alaska,  where,  owing  to  the  lack  of  necessary  communications,  he  had  to  remain 
a  whole  year  before  he  could  return  to  the  United  States  to  procure  the  necessary 
supplies.  In  the  summer  of  1888  he  returned  to  San  Francisco  to  procure  materials 
for  a  house  and  other  necessaries. 

Mr.  Lydell  stopped  at  Yakutat,  south  of  Mount  St.  Elias.  As  soon  as  he  had 
determined  on  the  location  of  his  station  he  went  to  San  Francisco  to  secure  sup¬ 
plies  and  provisions,  returning  to  Yakutat  in  1888,  accompanied  by  Karl  John 
Henrikson,  whom  he  by  a  special  providence  of  God  had  accidentally  met  in  Ore¬ 
gon.  Lydell,  however,  was  taken  sick  immediately  after  his  return  to  Yakutat. 
Having  suffered  from  a  severe  pulmonary  affection,  he  was  not  able  to  continue 
his  missionary  work  in  those  cold  regions.  On  the  advice  of  physicians  he  went 
back  to  California,  and  in  his  stead  Mr.  Albin  Johnson  was  sent  out  in  1889.  As 
soon  as  Mr.  Ly dell’s  health  permitted  he  took  up  the  work  of  a  traveling  mission¬ 
ary  in  the  United  States,  in  which  work  he  has  since  engaged.  His  work  consists 
in  traveling  among  the  mission  friends  to  arouse  an  interest  for  the  Alaska  mis¬ 
sion  and  to  solicit  means  for  the  same.  In  this  he  has  succeeded  well.  The  inter¬ 
est  manifested  in  this  country  for  this  mission  is  to  a  great  extent  due  to  the  work 
of  Mr.  Lydell. 

At  first  the  missionaries  met  only  with  adversities  and  obstacles.  It  was  not  an 
easy  task  in  this  cold  country  to  get  a  home  to  live  in.  They  succeeded,  however, 
in  getting  some  boards,  but  not  sufficient  for  a  house;  hence  they  were  compelled 
to  go  into  the  woods,  fell  the  trees,  and  split  them  with  an  ax  into  boards  and 
shingles.  This  was  hard  work;  but  they  succeeded.  They  arranged  in  the  newly 
made  home  first  a  large  room  for  public  gatherings,  and  even  before  it  was  finished 
they  assembled  the  natives  in  the  kitchen  and  preached  to  them  by  means  of  an 
interpreter. 

From  the  United  States  money  was  plentifully  contributed,  with  which  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  built  a  children’s  home  in  Yakutat.  The  building  was  a  two-story  house, 
containing  room  for  the  missionaries,  room  for  the  children,  and  a  large  school¬ 
room,  which  also  served  as  a  church.  In  this  house  twenty-four  children  were 
educated.  In  short,  the  skies  of  the  future  appeared  almost  cloudless. 

Suddenly  there  came  an  unexpected  stroke  as  a  thunderbolt  from  a  clear  sky. 
On  the  8th  of  January,  1892,  the  home  was  suddenly  burned  down,  and  with  it 
nearly  all  the  property  of  the  mission,  together  with  that  of  the  missionaries,  was 
destroyed. 

At  about  the  same  time  that  this  calamity  took  place  a  good  step  was  taken 
toward  success.  A  steam  saw  had  been  received  the  fall  before.  Henrikson  had 
bought  this  saw  with  money  subscribed  for  the  purpose  through  the  efforts  of 
Mr.  Lydell.  The  saw  was  not  yet  in  working  order,  but  everything  was  ready  for 
its  erection  when  the  home  burned.  When  the  home  had  burned  and  all  the 
books  and  material  for  the  school  had  been  destroyed,  the  missionaries  got  time  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  erection  of  the  sawmill.  This  mill  was  built  of  logs  cut 
in  the  woods  and  split  with  the  ax  into  boards.  As  all  of  their  blankets  and 
clothing  with  which  they  paid  the  natives  had  burned,  they  resolved  to  do  all  the 
work  without  any  assistance  from  them.  This,  however,  they  were  not  allowed 
to  do.  Said  the  natives,  “  Permit  us  to  work;  we  will  ask  no  pay.  We  will  eat 
at  home,  and  if  you  get  anything  in  the  future  you  can  repay  us."  With  their  aid 
the  work  made  rapid  progress,  so  the  sawmill  was  in  running  order  by  the  time 
the  first  boat  arrived  in  the  spring. 

The  result  of  the  work  of  ttie  sawmill  was  that  the  entire  village  was  rebuilt. 
It  was  converted  from  a  number  of  poor  £•  lian ties  to  neat  and  comfortable  lumber 
houses,  built  along  streets,  as  in  our  towns.  This  change  took  place  within  a 
couple  of  years. 

At  present  there  is  a  congregation  at  Yakutat  of  38  persons  who  have  received 
the  Christian  baptism.  This  congregation  is  organized  in  accordance  with  the  same 
principles  of  our  mission  congregations  in  Sweden  and  America  and  hold  their 
services  in  the  same  manner.  There  is  even  a  Young  People's  Society,  organized 
with  the  purpose  of  joining  the  young  in  their  work  for  their  Master.  This  society 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA.  1625 

has  proved  a  great  help  to  the  young  against  the  temptations  to  attend  the  dances 
and  festivities  of  the  heathen. 

Knowing  what  a  powerful  factor  a  Christian  school  is,  it  is  encouragingto  learn 
that  from  60  to  100  children  are  educated  in  the  mission  school.  Although  the 
home  has  not  been  rebuilt,  yet  five  children  are  reared  and  educated  at  the  station. 
The  property  at  this  station  is  valued  at  $3,570. 

In  the  spring  of  1891  Miss  Hannan  Sevenson,  from  Worcester,  was  sent  out  to 
superintend  the  children’s  home  at  Unalaklik.  Mr.  David  Johnson,  of  Harcourt, 
Iowa,  who  lias  been  called  as  school  teacher  at  Unalaklik,  went  out  in  her 
company. 

To  the  credit  of  the  people  it  must  be  said  that  it  has  been  very  quiet  and  peace¬ 
ful  in  this  community.  Drinking  parties  and  rows  are  seldom  heard  of.  At 
Christmas  time  and  during  the  week  of  prayer  many  were  touched  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  We  had  a  full  house  every  evening.  The  natives  sang,  prayed,  and  tes¬ 
tified.  Even  a  young  Shuman  arose  and  said  that  he  should  not  like  to  be  left 
when  the  Lord  would  come. 

At  the  mission  station  six  boys  and  three  girls  have  been  supported.  They  are 
all  obedient,  and  live  for  God. 

In  the  spring  of  1892,  Mr.  August  Anderson,  in  company  with  one  of  the  boys  at 
the  school,  made  a  missionary  tour  along  the  western  coast.  They  then  came  to 
Golovin  Bay,  where  Anderson  found  many  Eskimos  in  poverty  and  darkness.  He 
asked  the  natives  if  they  wished  to  have  a  school  in  which  their  children  could 
learn  about  God.  They  all  answered  “  Yes.” 

Mr.  Anderson  returned  home  to  Unalaklik  and  told  his  brethren  what  he  had 
heard  and  seen.  It  was  in  the  summer  of  this  year  that  Mr.  Karlson  started  on 
his  tour  through  the  United  States  and  Sweden.  Having  reached  the  States,  Mr. 
Karlson  began  to  collect  money  for  the  mission  at  Golovin  Bay,  receiving  at  his 
first  meeting,  which  was  held  in  San  Francisco,  a  collection  of  $70  as  a  beginning. 
Arriving  at  Rockford,  111.,  when  the  Covenant's  annual  meeting  was  in  session,  he 
put  forth  his  cause  orally  as  well  as  in  a  written  report.  This  exerted  such  an 
influence  on  the  whole  meeting  that  immediately,  at  the  same  session,  about  $1,500 
was  raised  for  the  Alaska  mission  among  the  delegates.  Subscriptions  continued 
at  the  general  meetings  until  the  sum  was  increased  to  $3,000.  We  all,  who  were 
present,  remember  what  a  missionary  spirit  prevailed  at  this  blessed  meeting. 

The  following  summer,  when  Karlson  returned  to  Alaska,  he  had  in  his  com¬ 
pany  Mr.  N.  O,  Hultberg  and  Miss  Malvina  Johnson.  Golovin  Bay  was  assigned 
to  Brother  Hultberg  as  his  mission  field,  and  he  went  there  directly  from  St. 
Michaels  on  the  boat  which  brought  up  Mr.  Karlson.  There  he  met  his  coworker, 
Mr.  August  Anderson.  They  now  first  had  an  earnest  prayer  meeting,  after  which 
they  took  up  their  work  with  zeal.  They  got  along  so  well  in  building  their  house 
that  they  could  assemble  the  people  during  the  very  same  fall.  They  kept  up 
their  meetings  during  the  winter. 

The  following  spring  they  had  the  joy  of  baptizing  several  natives.  The  follow¬ 
ing  fall  Brother  Hultberg  left  Golovin  Bay  to  assist  in  the  work  at  Unalaklik,  and 
so  Mr.  Anderson  was  left  alone  at  Golovin  Bay.  In  the  spring  Mr.  Hultberg  made 
his  way  down  to  St.  Michaels  to  meet  his  betrothed.  Their  wedding  took  place  at 
Unalaklik.  The  fourth  day  after  their  marriage  the  newly  wedded  couple  went 
to  Golovin  Bay,  where  they  since  have  labored. 

We  have  now  in  that  place  amission  house,  dwelling  house,  and  a  schoolhouse, 
and,  better  than  all,  a  congregation  of  Christians  numbering  35  members.  Forty 
children  attend  the  school,  and  4  are  supported  at  the  Children's  Home.  The  mis¬ 
sion  property  at  this  station  is  valued  at  $2,525.  This  sum  does  not  include  the 
value  of  the  160  acres  of  land,  which,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States, 
belong  to  the  station. 

The  members  of  the  congregation  at  Unalaklik  number  40.  The  school  children 
number  between  60  and  70.  Four  children  are  supported  at  the  Children’s  Home. 
The  property  is  valued  at  $4,490. 

MISSIONS  OF  THE  PROTESTANT  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

In  the  Terrritory  of  Alaska  this  church  has  work  among  the  whites  at  Juneau 
and  Douglas  and  Sitka,  and  among  the  Indians  of  the  Yukon  region  and  the 
Eskimo  of  arctic  Alaska,  all  under  the  supervision  of  Bishop  P.  T.  Rowe.  The 
following  extract  is  taken  from  the  annual  report  of  the  board  of  managers  of  the 
Domestic  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church: 
“The  Rev.  Mr.  Prevost,  whose  station  at  Fort  Adams  is  among  the  Indians,  the 
bishop  temporarily  removed  to  Circle  City,  as  it  was  the  more  important  for  the 
moment  and  a  convenient  center.  In  June  last  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chapman,  who,  with 


1626 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

his  faithful  wife  and  Miss  Sabine,  is  stationed  at  Amvik,  600  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Yukon,  wrote  home  that  the  mission  school  at  that  place,  though  unable  to 
care  for  more  than  two  or  three  boarding  pupils,  had  a  most  prosperous  year.  In 
November,  and  again  in  December,  Mr.  Chapman  visited  the  villages  upon  the 
Chageluk  Slough,  to  the  eastward  from  Anvik.  He  hopes  to  establish  a  school 
there  with  a  native  teacher.  In  April-Mr.  Chapman  made  a  visit  up  the  Kuskok- 
wim  River  as  far  as  Vinisahle.” 

From  Point  Hope  Dr.  Driggs,  under  date  of  June  7,  reports  that  on  his  return  to 
duty  from  a  visit  to  the  States  he  received  a  joyful  and  hearty  welcome  from  the 
natives  on  his  arrival  at  Point  Hope.  The  Doctor  has  erected  a  new  home  for 
himself  at  this  place,  in  the  building  of  which  natives  and  a  few  white  men  assisted. 
The  interest  in  the  Sunday  services  has  been  very  marked,  the  average  attendance 
being  120  and  125.  A  widespread  epidemic  of  influenza  made  its  appearance  dur¬ 
ing  the  summer.  The  outlook  here  is  very  encouraging,  and  Dr.  Driggs  says:  “I 
doubt  if  there  is  a  single  city  or  village  in  the  United  States  where  the  ratio  to  the 
population  of  those  who  attend  worship  on  Sundays  has  been  as  large  the  past 
winter  as  it  has  been  here  at' Point  Hope.” 

The  statistics  last  reported  are  as  follows:  Stations,  Anvik  (10  communicants); 
Circle  City,  Indian  Mission;  Fort  Adams  (3  communicants) ;  Nowikowkat,  Fort 
Yukon  (5  communicants);  Point  Hope.  Mr.  Prevost  reports  large  numbers  of 
baptized  Indians  within  his  district.  Number  of  missionaries,  8. 

STATEMENT  WITH  REGARD  TO  MR.  DUNCAN  S  WORK  AMONG  THE 
TSIMPSHEEAN  INDIANS  OF  BRITISH  AMERICA  AND  ALASKA. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  1857,  Mr.  William  Duncan,  of  England,  arrived  at  Fort 
Simpson,  British  Columbia,  to  open  a  mission  among  the  Tsimpsheeans.  He 
found  by  actual  count  that  they  numbered  2,300.  They  were  barbarians  of  the 
lowest  type,  and  their  history  little  less  than  a  chapter  of  crime  and  misery. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1858,  he  had  so  far  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  language 
that  he  was  able  to  open  his  first  school  in  the  house  of  a  chief,  with  an  attendance 
of  26  children  and  15  adults. 

In  April.  1860,  he  made  preaching  tours  to  the  various  villages  situated  on  the 
rivers  which  empty  into  the  ocean  near  Fort  Simpson. 

Having  secured  a  few  followers  among  the  natives,  he  proposed  to  them  that 
they  remove  from  the  native  village,  where  they  were  more  or  less  under  the 
influence  of  their  heathen  neighbors,  and  establish  a  new  village  that  should  be 
under  strict  regulations.  The  removal  was  accomplished  on  the  27th  of  May, 
1860,  the  people  arriving  at  their  new  location,  16  miles  south  of  Fort  Simpson, 
the  next  day  at  2  o’clock.  There  were  50  men,  women,  and  children,  that  com¬ 
posed  this  first  colony.  On  the  6th  of  June  290  additional  natives  joined  them. 
Every  one  desiring  to  settle  in  the  new  village  was  required  to  subscribe  to  the 
following  agreement: 

1.  To  give  up  sorcery. 

2.  To  cease  calling  in  sorcerers  when  sick. 

3.  To  cease  gambling. 

4.  To  cease  giving  away  their  property  for  display. 

5.  To  cease  painting  their  faces. 

6.  To  cease  drinking  intoxicating  liquors. 

7.  To  observe  the  Sabbath. 

8.  To  attend  religious  instruction. 

9.  To  send  their  children  to  school. 

10.  To  be  cleanly. 

11.  To  be  industrious. 

12.  To  be  peaceful. 

13.  To  be  liberal  and  honest  in  trade. 

14.  To  build  neat  houses. 

15.  To  pay  the  village  tax. 

The  new  village,  notwithstanding  the  above  stringent  regulations,  grew  very 
rapidly  until  it  had  a  population  of  1 ,000  natives.  They  had  erected  for  them¬ 
selves  good,  comfortable  frame  houses;  had  a  steam  sawmill,  a  salmon-canning 
establishment,  and  a  village  store  owned  largely  by  native  shareholders.  A  num¬ 
ber  of  them  had  learned  the  carpentry  trade,  others  furniture  making,  and  still 
others  boat  building  and  boot  and  shoe  making  and  the  various  industries  in 
villages. 

Their  prosperity  continued  until  about  1880,  when  the  news  of  the  remarkable 
success  of  the  mission  had  circulated  wherever  the  English  language  was  known. 


V.  • 

/,  ■ 


Natives  with  Codfish.  St.  Lawrence  Island,  August,  1897.  (Pageieos.) 

By  V.  C.  Gambell. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1627 


This  had  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  the  mission,  so  much  so  that  the 
Church  of  England,  whose  missionary  society  had  originally  sent  Mr.  Duncan  to 
the  field,  thought  that  the  importance  of  the  mission  demanded  a  bishop  and  one 
was  selected,  ordained,  and  sent.  The  coming  of  the  bishop  to  the  station  imme¬ 
diately  started  rivalries.  If  the  bishop  was  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  mission,  Mr. 
Duncan,  who  had  given  his  life  to  the  work  and  had  created  the  mission,  would 
have  to  take  a  second  place,  which  he  could  not  very  well  afford  to  do.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  bishop  could  not  afford  to  allow  Mr.  Duncan  to  rule  and  he  him¬ 
self  take  a  second  place. 

In  the  meantime  the  attention  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  authorities  had 
been  attracted  to  the  increasing  importance  of  Northern  British  Columbia  and 
Alaska,  and  they  had  sent  surveyors  for  a  preliminary  survey,  with  regard  to  run¬ 
ning  a  mail  road  to  the  coast  at  that  point.  When  the  people  found  that  the  rail¬ 
road  surveyors  were  driving  stakes  over  the  lands  that' they  and  their  fathers  had 
occupied  for  generations,  they  protested.  Finding  that  their  protests  were  of  no 
avail,  they  sent  a  committee  to  Ottawa  to  lay  their  grievances  before  the  Canadian 
Parliament,  Securing  no  redress  there,  the  committee  continued  their  journey  to 
London,  but  were  prevented  from  having  a  personal  interview  with  the  Queen,  and 
returned  home  very  much  discouraged.  Upon  agitating  the  question  of  their 
personal  rights,  they  found  that  they  had  no  right  whatever  to  the  land  that  they 
had  always  supposed  to  be  their  own,  and  that  there  was  no  future  for  their  chil¬ 
dren,  under  the  regulations  provided  by  the  Parliament  of  British  Columbia. 
This,  in  connection  with  the  land  difficulties  and  the  difficulties  of  the  church 
combined,  made  them  very  much  dissatisfied;  and  finally,  in  the  winter  of  1886-87, 
they  sent  their  leader,  Mr.  Duncan,  to  Washington,  to  confer  with  the  President. 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  and  leading  officials  of  our  Government,  the  result  of 
which  was  that  in  the  spring  of  1887  they  concluded  to  leave  British  Columbia,  and 
move  in  a  body  to  the  contiguous  Territory  of  Alaska,  in  the  United  States.  They 
supposed,  of  course,  that  they  would  be  allowed  to  take  down  the  houses  which 
they  owned,  and  transport  their  windows,  doors,  lumber,  etc.,  over  to  their  new 
home,  which  was  about  60  miles  north  of  the  old  place.  They  were,  however, 
disappointed  in  this,  as  an  official  of  the  British  Columbia  Government  forbade 
their  taking  anything.  And  this  people,  that  had  slowly  come  up  from  barbarians 
to  civilization,  were  compelled  to  go  out  empty-handed,  leaving  behind  them  all 
the  property  which  they  had  accumulated  during  those  nearly  thirty  years  that 
they  had  been  emerging  from  barbarism  to  civilization. 

On  the  7th  of  August,  Mr.  Duncan  returned  from  Washington  and  landed  at 
Port  Chester,  on  Annette  Island,  the  place  that  had  been  selected  for  their  new 
home.  It  was  a  great  gala  day  for  the  people.  A  United  States  flag,  donated  to 
them  by  the  ladies  of  Philadelphia,  in  Independence  Hall,  was  flung  to  the  breeze 
with  cheers  and  firing  of  guns.  Addresses  were  made  by  Mr.  Duncan  and  several 
tourists  who  were  with  him  on  the  steamer.  A  prayer  for  God's  blessing  followed, 
and  the  public  exercises  were  closed  by  the  people  singing  with  great  ardor  the 
doxology,  “  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow.” 

The  timber  was  cleared  off  a  number  of  acres  for  a  village,  which  was  duly 
surveyed  and  plotted  and  allotted  to  the  inhabitants.  A  steam  sawmill  and  a 
large  store  building  were  erected.  Friends  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  other 
cities  sent  several  thousand  dollars  for  public  improvements.  Since  then  a  large 
schoolhouse,  church,  and  salmon  cannery  have  been  erected. 

Congress,  in  section  15  of  the  act  entitled  “An  act  to  repeal  timber-culture  laws, 
and  for  other  purposes,”  approved  March  3,  1891  (26  Stats.,  1095),  has  reserved 
Annette  Island  for  the  colony.  Section  15  of  the  above-mentioned  act  reads  as 
follows: 

“  Until  otherwise  provided  by  law,  the  body  of  lands  known  as  Annette  Island, 
situated  in  the  Alexander  Archipelago,  in  southeastern  Alaska,  on  the  north  side 
of  Dixon’s  entrance,  be,  and  the  same  is  hereby,  set  apart  as  a  reservation  for  the 
use  of  the  Metlakahtla  Indians  and  these  people  known  as  Metlakahtlans  who 
have  recently  emigrated  from  British  Columbia  to  Alaska  and  such  other  Alaskan 
natives  as  may  join  them,  to  be  held  and  used  by  them  in  common,  under  such 
rules  and  regulations  and  subject  to  such  restrictions  as  may  [be]  prescribed  from 
time  to  time  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior.” 

In  British  Columbia  they  have  formed  a  local  government,  which  they  trans¬ 
ferred  with  themselves  to  their  settlement  on  Annette  Island.  This  local  govern¬ 
ment  is  officially  known  by  them  as  “The  Town  and  Associated  Community  of 
Metlakahtla.”  An  annual  election  is  held  by  the  members  of  the  “  community.” 
This  council  makes  the  laws,  and  is  the  governing  power  of  the  people.  Every 
person  desiring  to  unite  with  the  community  is  required  to  make  application  to 
the  “  council  ”  for  membership.  If  the  request  is  granted,  the  new  member  sub- 


1628 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

scribes  to  the  following  rules,  which  have  superseded  those  in  force  when  the 
colony  was  organized: 

We,  the  people  of  Metlakahtla,  Alaska,  in  order  to  secure  to  ourselves  and  our 
posterity  the  blessings  of  a  Christian  home,  do  severally  subscribe  to  the  following 
rules  for  the  regulation  of  our  conduct  and  town  affairs: 

1.  To  reverence  the  Sabbath  and  to  refrain  from  all  unnecessary  secular  work 
on  that  day;  to  attend  divine  worship;  to  take  the  Bible  for  our  rule  of  faith;  to 
regard  all  true  Christians  as  our  brethren,  and  to  be  truthful,  honest,  and  indus¬ 
trious. 

2.  To  be  faithful  and  loyal  to  the  Government  and  lawrs  of  the  United  States. 

3.  To  render  our  votes  when  called  upon  for  the  election  of  the  town  council, 
and  to  promptly  obey  the  by-laws  and  orders  imposed  by  the  said  council. 

4.  To  attend  to  the  education  of  our  children  and  keep  them  at  school  as  regu¬ 
larly  as  possible. 

5.  To  totally  abstain  from  all  intoxicants  and  gambling,  and  never  attend  hea¬ 
then  festivities  or  countenance  heathen  customs  in  surrounding  villages. 

6.  To  strictly  carry  out  all  sanitary  regulations  necessary  for  the  health  of  the 
town. 

7.  To  identify  ourselves  with  the  progress  of  the  settlement,  and  to  utilize  the 
land  we  hold. 

8.  Never  to  alienate,  give  away,  or  sell  our  land  or  building  lots  or  any  portion 
thereof  to  any  person  or  persons  who  have  not  subscribed  to  these  rules. 

(Signed)  - . 

- ,  witness. 

Date, - ,  189 — . 

Already  before  migrating  to  Annette  Island  Mr.  Duncan  had  introduced  these 
elements  of  civilization.  Many  of  his  tribe  were  individual  owners  of  the  village 
lots  occupied  by  their  residences  and  vegetable  gardens.  Immediately  after 
removing  to  Annette  Island  the  same  plan  of  individual  ownership  was  resorted 
to  in  the  form  indicated  by  the  following  certificate  of  ownership: 

Certificate  No.  — .  Dated - . 

METLAKAHTLA. 

This  certifies  that - has  this  day,  in  pursuance  of  the  rules  and  reg¬ 

ulations  of  the  Town  and  Associated  Community  of  Metlakahtla,  Alaska,  entered 
upon  and  occupied  that  certain  tract  or  parcel  of  land  on  Annette  Island,  in  the 

district  of  Alaska,  U.  S.  A. ,  more  particularly  described  as  follows,  viz: - , 

and  is  now7  in  the  actual  possession  thereof. 

That,  so  far  as  this  city  and  associated  community  can  confer  such  a  privilege, 

he  has,  and - heirs  shall  have,  the  prior  and  exclusive  right  of  proving  up 

- claim  thereto,  and  of  obtaining  title  from  the  United  States  Government, 

and  this  shall  be  the  evidence  thereof,  except  it  be  before  us  canceled  upon  our 
register  for  abandonment  or  conduct  unbecoming  an  American  citizen. 

Done  by  our  order,  under  our  seal,  the  day  and  year  first  above  written,  by  the 
chairman  and  secretary  of  our  native  council. 

By - , 

[seal.]  Chairman  of  the  Native  Council. 

And - , 

Secretary  of  the  Native  Council. 

The  island  is  about  40  miles  long  by  3  wide.  The  colony  on  Annette  Island  have 
cleared  off  the  timber  from  their  village  site,  erected  from  150  to  200  good  frame 
residences,  established  a  cooperative  store,  salmon  cannery,  and  steam  sawmill, 
and  built  a  large  church;  but,  so  far  as  known  to  this  office,  nothing  has  been 
actually  done  in  mining,  although  it  is  known  that  projects  in  this  direction  have 
been  under  consideration  by  them.  All  the  industries  are  carried  on  by  the  native 
people  themselves,  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  William  Duncan. 

INTRODUCTION  OF  DOMESTIC  REINDEER  INTO  ALASKA. 

The  progress  has  been  satisfactory  and  an  advance  has  been  made  during  the 
year. 

While  no  purchases  have  been  made  in  Siberia,  466  deer  have  been  added  to  the 
herds  by  birth,  making  a  total  on  June  30,  1897,  of  1,466.  A  new7  station  has  been 
established  about  60  miles  north  of  St.  Michael,  Norton  Sound.  This  location  is 
on  the  north  shore  of  Unalaklik  River,  about  10  miles  above  its  mouth,  and  com¬ 
bines  a  central  position,  with  dry  and  abundant  pasturage,  good  fishing,  timber 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1G29 


for  building  and  fuel,  with  easy  access  to  the  ocean.  The  new  station  is  central  for 
the  distribution  of  the  herds  either  northward  to  Kotzebue  Sound,  Point  Hope, 
and  Point  Barrow;  southward  to  the  Roman  Catholic  and  Moravian  stations  on 
the  Lower  Yukon,  Kuskokwim,  and  Nushagak  rivers,  or  eastward  to  the  Epis¬ 
copal  stations  and  mining  settlements  on  the  Upper  Yukon  Valley,  being  about 
the  same  distance  from  Bering  Straits  on  the  west,  Point  Barrow  upon  the  north, 
the  Middle  Yukon  Valley  on  the  east,  and  the  Kuskokwim  Valley  on  the  south. 
Located  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  leading  mission  stations  among  the  native 
populations,  it  will  be  able  to  draw  and  educate  as  herders  and  teamsters  a  larger 
number  of  the  native  young  men. 

At  the  Teller  Reindeer  Station  no  additional  buildings  have  been  erected  or 
were  needed  during  the  year.  Three  sod  houses  16  by  10  feet  in  size  lined  with 
lumber  were  erected  at  the  winter  quarters  for  1896-97  on  the  Agheeopak  River 
for  shelter  of  herders  and  their  families.  Several  smaller  sod  huts  were  erected 
at  various  places  between  the  Teller  Station  and  Agheeopak  as  a  refuge  for  the 
herders  while  en  route  to  and  from  the  station.  A  few  log  dwellings  and  store 
houses  will  this  winter  be  erected  at  the  new  station  on  the  Unalaklik  River.  The 
buildings  at  the  Teller  Station,  with  furniture,  boats,  sleds,  harness,  nets,  and 
other  property  of  the  Government,  are  in  good  repair. 

PERSONNEL. 

Mr.  William  A.  Kjellmann,  who  resigned  the  position  of  superintendent  in  the 
fall  of  1895,  having  expressed  a  willingness  to  again  enter  the  service,  was  reap¬ 
pointed  to  his  former  position  as  superintendent. 

A.  N.  Kittilsen,  M.  D.,  of  Stoughton,  Wis.,  was  likewise  appointed  assistant 
superintendent  and  physician,  and  the  Rev.  T.  L.  Brevig  continued  as  teacher. 

Herders. — The  Lapps  continue  to  justify  the  wisdom  of  their  importation  from 
Lapland,  embodying  in  their  own  training  and  skill  the  knowledge  and  methods 
learned  by  their  people  through  centuries  of  experience  and  observation.  Their 
services  in  Alaska  are  invaluable. 

In  the  introduction  of  reindeer  into  Alaska  and  the  training  of  native  men  in 
their  management  and  care  it  is  important  that  that  training  should  be  in  accord¬ 
ance  with  the  latest  and  most  improved  methods  of  handling  reindeer;  that  the 
Lapps  possess  these  above  all  other  nationalities  is  universally  recognized.  Their 
assistance  has  proved  so  valuable  and  is  so  essential  to  the  immediate  future  that 
Mr.  Kjellmann  has  gone  with  your  consent  to  Lapland  this  winter  to  secure  and 
bring  over  a  permanent  colony  of  them.  The  Lapps  now  in  Alaska  were  brought 
over  with  the  understanding  that  they  would  be  returned  at  the  end  of  three 
years;  this  was  the  best  arrangement  that  could  be  made  at  the  time.  The  limit 
of  service  being  reached,  Messrs.  Rist,  Somby,Kemi,and  Eira.  with  their  families, 
have  returned  to  Lapland.  Messrs.  Tornensis,  Nakkila,  and  Larsen  have  been 
prevailed  upon  to  remain,  with  the  expectation  that  they  will  become  herd  owners 
and  permanent  citizens. 

During  the  winter  of  1896-97  Messrs.  Rist  and  Nakkila  were  detailed  to  accom¬ 
pany  the  superintendent  on  his  sledge  journey  to  the  Yukon  and  Kuskokwim  val¬ 
leys.  Mr.  Aslak  L.  Somby  remained  in  charge  of  the  herds  at  Golovin  Bay  until 
March,  when  he  returned  to  the  Teller  Station  and  was  sent  to  the  Cape  Nome 
herd  to  relieve  Mr.  M.  A.  Eira,  whose  wife  needed  the  medical  attendance  of  the 
station  physician. 

Mr.  Frederick  Larsen  was  detailed  for  a  month's  service  with  the  herd  at  Cape 
Prince  of  Wales.  Messrs.  Tornensis  and  Kemi  had  charge  of  the  Teller  Station 
herd,  except  as  one  or  the  other  made  short  trips  with  the  physician. 

Apprentices. — The  school  of  apprentices  consists  of  the  same  persons  as  last 
y ear — five  married  and  two  unmarried  Eskimos.  They  have  shown  an  alacrity  in 
work,  a  faithful  adherence  to  instructions,  and  an  effort  to  understand  all  parts  of 
the  work  that  augurs  well  for  their  future  success. 

Rations.—  During  the  year  a  change  has  been  made  in  the  rations,  decreasing 
the  amount  of  American  food  (such  as  flour  and  meats  brought  from  the  outside) 
and  increasing  the  amount  of  native  food  (such  as  fish,  seal,  and  o  l). 

School.— As  the  herders  and  apprentices  have  been  with  the  herd  60  miles  away 
from  the  station  much  of  the  time,  the  school  has  been  mostly  composed  of  Eskimo 
children,  resident  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  station.  Although  debarred 
regular  schooling,  both  the  Lapps  and  apprentices  are  slowly  acquiring  the  Eng¬ 
lish  tongue.  The  superintendent  recommends  that  some  of  the  young  people  be 
given  a  few  years  at  school  in  the  States  to  learn  English.  _ 

wideness.— Dr.  Kittilsen,  the  physician,  lias  attended  to  60  cases  of  sickness 
among  the  employees  or  their  families  and  250  cases  among  the  outside  Eskimos* 


1630 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 


who  have  in  some  cases  come  200  miles  on  a  dog  sled  to  secure  medical  attendance. 
There  was  bnt  one  fatal  case  at  the  station,  being  Mrs.  Eira,  who  remained  too 
long  at  Cape  Nome  before  applying  for  help.  She  passed  to  her  rest  May  4,  1897. 

HERD. 

On  the  1st  of  July,  1897,  there  were  in  Alaska  1,466  head  of  domestic  reindeer. 
These  are  divided  into  four  herds,  and  located  as  follows: 


Government  herd  at  Teller  Reindeer  Station . . . . .  525 

Congregational  herd  at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales . . . .  367 

An  undivided  herd  at  Golovin  Bay  controlled  jointly  by  the  Swede  and  Epis¬ 
copalian  Missions _ _ _ - . . -  296 

Herd  in  charge  of  the  Eskimos  at  Cape  Nome .  278 


Total _ _ - . . . 1,466 


The  Government  herd  was  wintered  on  the  Agheepak  River  20  miles  from  its 
mouth. 

In  the  spring  it  was  driven  to  the  south  side  of  Eaton  River  as  a  more  favorable 
place  for  fawning,  and  this  summer  has  been  kept  on  the  south  side  of  Port  Clar¬ 
ence  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cape  Riley. 

Fawning.  — There  were  born  at  the  Teller  Station  149  living  fawns,  at  Cape 
Prince  of  Wales  124,  at  Golovin  Bay  108,  and  at  Cape  Nome  85,  making  an  increase 
for  the  year  of  466. 

Sickness.  — In  the  fall  of  1895,  and  again  in  the  fall  of  1896,  a  disease  broke  out 
in  the  herd  similar  to  foot-rot  in  sheep.  With  a  change  of  the  herd  to  drier 
ground  the  sickness  gradually  abated. 

Breaking. — Special  attention  has  been  given  to  the  training  of  the  reindeer  both 
to  harness  and  the  pack  saddle.  During  last  winter  46  two  and  three  year  old 
deer  were  thus  broken.  This  makes  73  well  broken  and  trained  sled  deer  in  the 
Government  herd.  In  the  herd  at  Golovin  Bay  are  18  sled  deer,  and  at  Cape  Prince 

of  Waies  22. 

At  the  Teller  Station  the  sled  deer  were  kept  in  constant  practice,  both  on  their 
own  account  and  also  for  the  training  of  the  Eskimo  apprentices.  Including  the 
trip  to  the  Kuskokwim  Valley  the  aggregate  number  of  miles  driven  was  over 
10,000. 

This  practice  will  be  kept  up,  preparatory  to  their  introduction  into  the  mining 
camps  for  freighting  and  traveling. 

REINDEER  FREIGHTING. 

The  first  incentive  to  the  introduction  of  domestic  reindeer  into  Alaska  came  as 
an  act  of  humanity  to  provide  a  new  food  supply  for  the  Eskimos,  who  were  sub¬ 
ject  to  periodical  seasons  of  starvation,  their  old  food  supply  of  whale,  walrus,  and 
wild  animals  having  been  partially  destroyed  by  the  greed  of  white  men.  But 
since  the  discovery  of  gold  mines  in  subarctic  Alaska  and  the  consequent  influx  of 
thousands  of  miners,  it  has  been  found  that  the  reindeer  is  as  essential  to  the 
white  man  as  to  the  Eskimo. 

The  first  thought  of  the  miner  in  central  Alaska  is  to  secure  a  good  “  claim 
his  next  thought  is  the  question  of  “  food  supply” — whether  he  can  secure  pro¬ 
visions  that  will  enable  him  to  work  his  claim  continuously,  or  whether  for  the 
want  of  such  provisions  he  will  be  compelled  to  leave  his  claim  unworked  a  por¬ 
tion  of  the  year  while  he  goes  where  he  can  secure  food — not  only  losing  the  profit 
that  would  accrue  from  the  claim  if  worked,  but  also  involving  him  in  heavy 
traveling  expenses  in  going  to  and  fro. 

With  the  exception  of  fish,  a  little  wild  game,  and  a  limited  quantity  of  garden 
vegetables,  there  is  no  food  in  the  country.  All  breadstuffs,  vegetables,  fruits, 
and  the  larger  portion  of  the  meat  supply  must  be  brought  into  the  country  from 
the  outside.  A  small  quantity  of  provisions  is  packed  on  sleds  and  on  men’s 
shoulders  and  brought  over  the  passes  in  the  Chilkat  country  of  southeast  Alaska 
to  the  head  waters  of  the  Yukon;  there  barges  or  flatboats  are  built,  and  with  their 
freight  are  floated  down  the  Yukon  River  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  mines.  The 
great  bulk  of  the  food  supply,  however,  is  brought  in  on  steamers  plying  on  the 
Yukon  River.  These  provisions  are  necessarily  left  in  warehouses  on  the  banks  of 
the  great  river.  But  the  miners,  who  are  the  consumers,  need  them  at  their 
claims,  which  are  from  10  to  100  miles  away  from  the  river.  Now,  it  should  be 
remembered  that  there  are  no  roads  in  Alaska  as  they  exist  in  other  sections  of  the 
United  States;  and,  with  thealmost  illimitable  area  of  bog  and  swamp  and  tundra 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA.  1631 

and  frozen  subsoil,  it  will  be  impossible  to  make  and  maintain  roads,  except  at  a 
cost  that  would  be  practically  prohibitive. 

In  summer  the  supplies  are  loaded  into  small  boats,  which  are  poled  up  the  small 
streams  or  packed  on  men's  backs  to  the  mines.  In  winter  they  are  hauled  on 
dog  sleds.  This  costs  heavily.  From  Circle  City  to  the  Birch  Creek  mines,  a  dis¬ 
tance  of  about  50  miles,  the  freight  is  10  cents  a  pound  ($200  a  ton)  in  winter  and 
40  cents  in  summer  ($800  a  ton).  From  Dawson  to  the  Klondike  mines,  a  distance 
of  15  miles,  the  freight  last  winter  was  8  cents  a  pound  ($160  a  ton), and  this  sum¬ 
mer  25  cents,  or  $500  a  ton  of  freight  15  miles.  In  addition  to  the  expense,  the 
carrying  capacity  is  too  limited.  A  load  is  from  100  to  125  pounds  on  a  sled  per 
dog,  a  portion  of  which  is  food  for  the  dogs,  and  if  the  route  is  a  long  one,  with¬ 
out  intervening  sources  of  supply,  they  can  not  carry  more  food  than  is  sufficient 
for  themselves.  So  far  they  have  failed  in  supplying  the  mines  with  a  sufficient 
stock  of  provisions. 

Last  winter  the  steamer  Bella  was  caught  in  the  ice  and  frozen  up  at  Fort 
Yukon,  80  miles  distant  from  Circle  City.  An  effort  was  made  to  forward  the  pro¬ 
visions  with  dog  teams  on  the  ice,  but  it  was  a  failure.  The  food  could  not  be 
moved  in  sufficient  quantities  and  with  sufficient  speed  to  supply  the  miners  of  the 
Upper  Yukon,  and  by  spring  at  Dawson  City  flour  ran  up  to  over  $100  per  barrel, 
$50  to  $125  per  100  pounds. 

A  few  horses  have  been  brought  into  the  country,  but  in  the  absence  of  roads, 
scarcity  of  food,  and  rigor  of  winter  climate  they  have  not  proved  a  success.  At 
Dawson,  although  the  wages  of  a  man  and  team  are  $50  a  day,  yet  even  that  does 
not  pay,  with  hay  at  $125  to  $150  per  ton  (and  not  a  pound  to  be  had  when  I  was 
there  in  July  even  at  those  figures),  and  the  horses  fed  on  bread  made  from  flour 
ranging  in  price  from  $100  to  $200  per  barrel. 

The  only  solution  of  the  question  of  reasonable  land  transportation  and  rapid 
communication  and  travel  between  mining  centers  hundreds  of  miles  apart  in 
subarctic  Alaska  is  the  introduction  and  utilizing  of  domestic  reindeer. 

The  reindeer  is  to  the  far  north  what  the  camel  is  to  desert  regions,  the  animal 
which  God  has  provided  and  adapted  for  the  peculiar,  special  conditions  which 
exist.  The  greater  the  degree  of  cold,  the  better  the  reindeer  thrives.  Last  winter 
a  party  of  them  hauling  nine  sleds  made  a  day’s  journey  with  the  temperature  at 
78°  below  zero.  On  a  long  journey  through  an  uninhabited  country  a  dog  team 
can  not  haul  sufficient  provisions  to  feed  themselves.  A  deer,  with  200  pounds  on 
the  sled,  can  travel  up  and  down  the  mountains  and  over  the  plains  without  a  road 
or  trail  from  one  end  of  Alaska  to  the  other,  living  on  the  moss  found  in  the  coun¬ 
try  where  he  travels.  In  the  four  months’  travel  of  2,000  miles  last  winter  the  deer 
were  turned  out  at  night  to  find  their  own  provisions,  except  upon  a  stretch  of  the 
Yukon  Valley  below  Anvik,  a  distance  of  40  miles.  The  great  mining  interests  of 
central  Alaska  can  not  realize  their  fullest  development  until  the  domestic  reindeer 
are  introduced  in  sufficient  numbers  to  do  the  work  of  supplying  the  miners  with 
provisions  and  freight  and  giving  the  miner  speedy  communication  with  the  out¬ 
side  world.  It  now  takes  from  fifty  to  sixty  days  to  carry  the  mail  between  Juneau 
and  Circle  City.  With  the  establishment  of  relay  stations  at  suitable  distances  the 
reindeer  teams  will  carry  the  same  mail  in  four  or  five  days. 

The  reindeer  is  equally  important  to  the  prospector.  Prospecting  at  a  distance 
from  the  base  of  supplies  is  now  impossible.  The  prospector  can  go  only  as  far  as 
the  100  pounds  of  provisions,  blankets,  and  tools  will  last  him,  and  then  he  must 
return.  With  ten  head  of  reindeer,  packing  100  pounds  each,  making  half  a  ton 
of  supplies,  he  can  be  gone  for  months,  penetrating  regions  hundreds  of  miles  dis¬ 
tant,  his  deer  grazing  wherever  night  finds  him.  The  possibilities  are.  so  great, 
that  in  the  days  to  come  it  will  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that  the  utilization  of  the 
deer  was  not  vigorously  pushed  at  the  start. 

SIBERIAN  PURCHASE  STATION. 

In  1892  the  introduction  of  domestic  reindeer  into  Alaska  was  undertaken  to 
provide  a  new  food  supply  for  the  Eskimo.  The  new  demand  that  has  now  arisen 
to  assist  the  miners  in  the  opening  of  the  country  emphasizes  the  imperative  need 
of  some  method  of  procuring  the  deer  from  Siberia  in  larger  numbers.  To  assist  in 
this,  last  winter  permission  was  secured  from  the  Russian  Government  at  St.  Peters¬ 
burg,  through  the  regular  official  channels,  for  the  United  States  to  locate  an  agent 
at  some  suitable  point  on  the  coast  of  Siberia  for  the  continuous  purchase  of  rein¬ 
deer  through  the  year.  Hitherto  the  work  of  purchasing  has  been  confined  to  five 
or  six  weeks  in  summer.  _ 

By  extending  the  time  for  purchasing  through  the  whole  year  it  is  hoped  to  be 
able  to  secure  a  large  number  and  have  them  on  the  coast  ready  for  transporta- 


1632 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

tion  during  the  short  summer,  when  Bering  Sea  and  the  adjacent  arctic  coast  are 
free  from  ice.  Mr.  John  W.  Kelly,  who  has  spent  years  in  arctic  Alaska  and  is 
familiar  with  the  conditions  of  the  country,  was  appointed  agent.  Associated 
with  him  are  Conrad  Siem  and  Mr.  A.  St.  Leger,  both  of  whom  have  had  years  of 
experience  with  the  natives  of  the  Arctic. 

A  good  opportunity  offering,  Conrad  Siem  took  passage  on  the  whaler  Bonanza 
May  29.  Mr.  Kelly,  with  supplies  and  stock  of  barter  goods,  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  June  9  on  the  schooner  Volant ,  reaching  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  Siberia,  on 
July  17,  three  days  after  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Siem. 

When  the  needs  of  the  reindeer  for  domestication  and  transportation  are  met, 
early  steps  should  be  taken  to  stock  the  larger  islands  of  Alaska,  especially  those 
in  Bering  Sea  and  along  the  Aleutian  group. 

In  Dr.  G.  Hartwig’s  Polar  World,  page  89,  it  is  stated  that  ‘‘In  the  year  1770 
thirteen  reindeer  were  brought  into  Iceland  from  Norway.  Ten  died  on  the  pas¬ 
sage,  but  the  three  which  survived  have  multiplied  so  fast  that  large  herds  now 
(1869)  roam  over  the  uninhabited  wastes.  During  the  winter,  when  hunger  drives 
them  into  the  lower  districts,  they  are  frequently  shot,  but  no  attempts  have  been 
made  to  tame  them.” 


A  WINTER  TRIP  OF  2,000  MILES. 

Since  the  commencement  of  the  herd  in  1892  the  obstacles  that  it  wras  predicted 
'would  prevent  the  successful  introduction  of  domestic  reindeer  into  Alaska  have 
either  been  proved  to  be  groundless  or  have  one  by  one  been  met  and  overcome. 
Having  shown  by  actual  experience  that  they  could  be  bought,  transported,  and 
successfully  propagated,  it  remained  to  give  a  practical  demonstration  of  their 
ability  to  traverse  any  part  of  the  country  under  the  most  unfavorable  circum¬ 
stances  and  with  a  temperature  at  times  lower  than  experienced  by  some  of  the 
Arctic  expeditions. 

This  was  done  last  winter,  in  accordance  with  your  directions.  At  3  p.  m.  on 
the  10th  of  December,  1896,  with  the  temperature  at  15°  below  zero,  Mr.  William 
A.  Kjellmann,  the  superintendent,  accompanied  by  the  Lapps  Per  Aslaksen  Rist 
and  Mikkel  J.  Nakkila,  started  from  the  Teller  Station  with  9  sleds  and  17  head 
of  reindeer  to  demonstrate  the  capacity  of  the  hardy  and  swift  animal  for  winter 
travel  in  Alaska.  Native  trails  and  well-known  sections  of  country  were  ignored, 
to  show  their  ability  to  go  anywhere.  The  course,  while  traveled  by  compass, 
was  a  zigzag  one,  in  order  to  better  learn  the  extent  and  abundance  of  moss  pas¬ 
turage.  Scaling  high  mountain  ranges,  shooting  down  precipitous  declivities 
with  tobogganing  speed,  plodding  through  valleys  filled  with  deeply  drifted  snow, 
laboriously  cutting  a  way  through  the  man-high  underbrush  of  the  forest,  or  steer¬ 
ing  across  the  trackless  tundra,  never  before  trodden  by  the  foot  of  white  man: 
gliding  over  the  hard-crusted  snow,  or  wading  through  slush  2  feet  deep  on  imper¬ 
fectly  frozen  rivers  unknown  to  geographers,  were  the  experiences  of  the  trip. 

The  second  day  of  the  journey,  with  the  temperature  43°  below  zero,  and  over 
a  rough,  broken,  and  pathless  country,  they  made  a  distance  of  60  nrles. 

After  celebrating  Christmas  with  Rev.  Mr.  Hultberg  and  the  Swedish  mission¬ 
aries  on  Golovin  Bay,  December  30  found  Mr.  Kjellmann’s  party  crossing  Norton 
Sound,  an  arm  of  Bering  Sea,  and  getting  into  a  crevasse  filled  with  snow,  from 
which  they  escaped  without  much  damage. 

The  next  day,  keeping  on  the  ice  along  the  coast,  hummocks  were  found  so 
steep  that  steps  had  to  be  cut  up  and  over  them  to  enable  the  deer  to  cross. 

On  New  Year’s  day,  coming  to  a  flagstaff  projecting  from  a  huge  snow  bank, 
they  found  under  it,  completely  buried  in  the  snow,  the  comfortable  home  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Karlsen  and  the  Swedish  missionaries  at  Unalaklik.  On  the  afternoon 
of  January  11  and  morning  of  the  12th,  85  miles  were  made  in  twelve  hours.  The 
native  guides  at  St.  Michael  being  afraid  to  undertake  a  winter  trip  across  the 
country  to  Ikogmute,  the  Russian  mission  on  the  Yukon  River,  and  affirming 
that  it  could  not  be  done,  Mr.  Kjellmann  started  on  January  19  without  them, 
traveling  by  compass. 

On  the  23d,  while  crossing  a  barren  mountain  range,  they  were  overtaken  by 
that  dread  specter  of  arctic  regions,  a  Russian  poorga.1  Neither  man  nor  beast 
could  stand  against  the  blast.  The  reindeer  were  blown  down  and  the  loaded 
sleds  overturned.  The  men,  throwing  themselves  flat,  clung  to  one  another  and 
to  mother  earth  to  keep  from  being  blown  away.  Stones  and  pieces  of  crushed 
ice  flew  by,  darkening  the  air.  A  lull  coming  toward  evening,  with  great  diffi¬ 
culty  a  little  coffee  was  made,  after  which  the  storm  broke  with  renewed  fury 
during  a  night  which  to  the  travelers,  clinging  to  the  earth  with  desperation, 


1  An  arctic  blizzard. 


Tchutchee  Girl 

By  J.  W.  Kelly. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1G33 


seemed  endless.  The  following  day  a  belt  of  timber  was  reached  and  rest  and  safety 
secured.  January  25  and  26  found  fhem  cutting  a  way  for  the  deer  and  sleds 
through  a  dense  forest,  from  which  they  finally  emerged  to  wade  through  snow 
and  water  2  feet  deep  and  the  temperature  at  zero.  On  the  81st  they  encountered 
a  succession  of  driving,  blinding  snowstorms  while  crossing  the  tundra  south  of 
the  Yukon  delta,  being  reduced  to  such  straits  that  they  were  compelled  to  cut 
the  railing  from  their  sleds  for  fuel.  On  February  5  the  storm  passed  away,  leav¬ 
ing  the  temperature  at  73°  below  zero,  causing  even  the  reindeer  to  break  loose 
from  their  tethers  and  tramp  ceaselessly  around  the  tents  for  warmth. 

Notwithstanding  the  severe  cold  the  journey  was  continued,  and  at  2  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  they  found  shelter  and  a  warm  welcome  from  the  Moravian  mis¬ 
sionaries  at  Bethel.  On  the  10th  of  March,  between  the  Kuskokwim  and  Yukon 
rivers,  a  lake  15  miles  wide  was  crossed. 

The  struggle  for  life  commenced,  however,  on  the  11th,  -when  they  reached  the 
Yukon,  and,  contrary  to  information,  found  no  moss  for  the  deer.  A  push  was 
made  up  the  Yukon  to  reach,  if  possible,  the  Episcopal  mission  at  Anvik.  There 
being  no  food,  the  march  was  kept  up  all  night,  plowing  their  way  through  loose 
snow  from  2  to  4  feet  deep,  and  on  through  the  12th  with  snow  falling  fast.  That 
afternoon  two  of  the  deer  fell  dead  and  were  left  with  their  sleds  where  they  fell, 
while  the  j  ourney  continued  uninterruptedly  through  the  blinding  snow  the  second 
night.  On  the  13th  two  more  deer  dropped  dead  and  were  abandoned,  as  the 
party  with  desperate  energy  pushed  ahead  day  and  night  for  food  and  life.  On 
the  14th  another  deer  fell  in  his  traces.  That  evening  a  native  hut  was  reached 
and  the  continuous  march  of  four  days  and  three  nights  without  sleep  or  rest  and 
without  food  for  the  deer  was  over.  Trees  rvere  cut  down  by  the  Lapps  that  the 
deer  might  browse  on  the  black  moss  that  hung  from  them,  while  Mr.  Kjellmann, 
suffering  with  a  high  fever,  was  put  to  bed  by  the  medicine  woman,  and  dosed 
with  tea  made  from  some  medicinal  bark.  On  the  17th  one  of  the  Lapps,  who 
had  been  scouring  the  country,  reported  moss  upon  a  mountain  60  fniles  away. 
The  deer  were  unharnessed  and  driven  to  the  distant  pasturage,  while  Mr.  Kjell¬ 
mann  continued  his  journey  to  Anvik  on  skis.  In  the  hospitable  home  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Chapman  he  was  nursed  back  to  health  and  strength. 

The  return  journey  to  the  Teller  Station  was  made  without  any  special  adven¬ 
ture,  except,  on  the  16th  of  April,  getting  into  a  crack  in  the  ice  while  crossing 
Norton  Sound  and  soaking  the  load  with  salt  water.  On  the  24th  of  April  the 
Teller  Station  was  safely  reached  after  a  trip  of  2,000  miles,  the  longest  ever 
recorded  in  any  land  as  made  by  the  same  reindeer. 

The  result  of  this  trial  trip  has  convinced  missionaries,  miners,  traders,  and 
others  residing  in  northern  and  central  Alaska  that  domestic  reindeer  can  do  for 
them  what  they  have  been  doing  for  centuries  in  Lapland.  That  when  introduced 
in  sufficient  numbers  they  will  supplant  dogs,  both  for  traveling  and  freighting, 
furnish  a  rapid  means  of  communication  between  widely  separated  communities, 
and  render  possible  the  full  and  profitable  development  of  the  rich  mineral 
interests. 


A  TRIP  UP  THE  YUKON. 

During  July  and  August,  through  the  courtesy  of  the  North  American  Trading 
and  Transportation  Company,  I  was  able  to  take  Mr.  William  A.  Kjellmann  and 
make  a  trip  of  1,600  miles  up  the  Yukon  River.  This  trip  was  made  to  secure  for 
you  the  information  you  sought  with  regard  to  the  adaptation  of  the  country  for 
reindeer  and  the  special  conditions  which  will  meet  the  introduction  of  reindeer 
freighting.  The  results  of  the  trip  were  satisfactory,  and  I  returned  more  than 
ever  deeply  impressed  that  the  great  pressing  need  of  the  hour  is  more  reindeer 
and  more  Lapps. 

BRANDING. 

As  year  by  year  increasing  numbers  of  reindeer  are  passing  into  the  ownership 
of  the  apprentices  and  missions,  and  as  others  are  looking  forward  to  ownership  in 
the  near  future,  it  is  important  that  rules  should  be  formulated  for  the  regulation 
and  registering  of  brands  that  mark  such  ownership. 

ITINERARY. 

Leaving  Washington  on  the  1st  of  June  last,  I  embarked  at  Seattle  on  the  steam¬ 
ship  Portland,  of  the  North  American  Transportation  and  Trading  Company,  on 
the  12th,  reaching  Unalaska,  Dutch  Harbor,  on  the  21st.  Two  days  were  spent  at 
Unalaska  visiting  the  school  and  attending  to  school  matters. 

ED  97 - 103 


1634 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

At  5.30  a.  m.  on  the  23d  our  steamship  sailed  for  St.  Michael.  On  the  25th  we 
reached  the  ice  and  all  day  skirted  the  ice  fl,oe,  reaching  St.  Michael  at  1  o’clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  27th. 

On  the  28th  the  Yukon  River  steamer  Portus  B.  Weave  arrived,  having  on 
hoard  a  large  number  of  miners  with  half  a  million  dollars’  worth  of  gold  dust 
from  Klondike  and  the  Yukon  mines.  It  was  the  arrival  of  this  steamer  with  its 
treasure  on  July  17,  1897,  at  Seattle  that  aroused  the  attention  of  the  world. 

The  29th  was  signalized  by  the  arrival  of  the  cutter  Bear ,  Capt.  Francis  Tuttle 
in  command.  The  Bear  had  on  its  upward  trip  called  at  St.  Lawrence  Island,  St. 
Lawrence  Bay,  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  and  Teller  Reindeer  Station,  bringing  favor¬ 
able  reports  from  the  several  stations;  it  also  brought  to  St.  Michael  Mr.  William  A. 
Kjellman,  superintendent  of  the  Reindeer  Station,  whom  I  wished  to  accompany 
me  on  a  trip  upon  the  Yukon  River  Valley,  that  he  might  investigate  the  supply 
of  reindeer  moss  and  ascertain  the  conditions  that  must  be  met  in  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  future  reindeer  freighting  establishments  from  the  provision  warehouses 
on  the  river  back  to  the  interior  mines. 

On  the  3d  of  July  I  transferred  from  the  ocean  steamship  Portland  to  the  river 
steamer  Portus  B.  Weave ,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  we  left  the  wharf  at  St. 
Michael  for  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon  River.  Owing  to  the  great  quantities  of  silt 
brought  down  in  the  waters  of  the  Yukon,  Bering  Sea  has  so  shoaled  that  ocean 
steamers  at  present  are  unable  to  reach  nearer  the  mouth  of  the  river  than  St, 
Michael,  which  is  60  miles  north  of  the  river,  on  the  coast  of  Bering  Sea. 

At  10  o'clock  the  steamer  reached  Pastolik,  where  a  stop  was  made  to  take  on 
firewood.  Half  an  hour  later  we  entered  the  north  pass  of  the  delta  and  at  11.30 
went  aground  on  the  bar,  where  we  lay  for  twenty-four  hours,  until  lifted  off  by 
the  tide.  Although  there  was  a  cold,  drizzling  rain,  a  number  of  the  passengers 
went  on  shore  to  hunt  geese  and  ducks,  which  are  plentiful  at  that  season  of  the 
year.  At  high  tide,  July  6,  the  steamer  again  floated,  and,  taking  on  wood  near 
Kutlik,  we  started  up  the  river. 

The  Yukon  is  one  of  the  great  rivers  of  the  world.  Taking  its  rise  in  the  moun¬ 
tains  of  the  Northwest  Territory  of  Canada,  it  flows  across  the  entire  width  of 
Alaska  from  east  to  west,  dividing  that  great  Territory  into  two  nearly  equal  parts. 
Its  delta  stretches  for  20  miles  along  the  sea  and  extends  100  miles  inland,  a  dis¬ 
tance  so  great  that,  standing  upon  one  shore  of  the  delta,  the  table-lands  bordering 
the  other  can  not  be  seen.  This  great  delta  is  comparable  to  that  of  the  Mississippi 
River  in  the  accumulated  silt  of  years,  which  greatly  extends  the  area  of  the  land 
into  the  sea,  shoaling  the  navigable  waters  of  the  sea  to  such  an  extent  that  ocean 
vessels  bound  for  St.  Michael  are  compelled,  while  passing  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
to  make  a  detour  to  the  westward.  Through  its  whole  course  the  river,  like  the 
Missouri,  carries  a  large  amount  of  sediment  in  its  waters,  and  the  extent  of  its 
deposits  upon  its  delta  will  not  be  wondered  at  after  the  observer  has  traversed  its 
length  and  seen  a  thousand  miles  of  banks  undermined  and  ready  to  be  swept  away. 

Like  the  McKenzie  River  of  Canada  and  the  Lena  of  Siberia,  which  rise  in  the 
south  and  flow  northward,  the  Yukon  feels  the  influence  of  the  warmer  tempera¬ 
ture  of  spring  first  at  its  source.  The  ice  brought  down  by  the  strong  freshets  of 
the  Upper  Yukon  is  piled  upon  the  firm  unbroken  ice  of  the  lower  stream,  with  the 
result  of  accumulating  great  masses  of  ice  and  water  until  the  weight  of  the  ice 
and  the  increased  pressure  of  the  gathered  waters  force  out  a  section  of  the  bank. 
This  process  is  repeated  again  and  again  lower  down  the  river.  The  breaking  up 
of  the  ice  on  the  Yukon  is  one  of  the  grand  sights  of  earth,  rivaling  in  interest  the 
remarka  ble  auroras  of  the  winter  months  in  that  northern  latitude.  U pon  such  occa- 
sions,  great  masses  of  ice  from  8  to  10  feet  thick  are  hurled  with  Titanic  force  into 
the  river  banks,  gouging  out  yards  of  soil  and  uprooting  great  trees  before  their 
momentum  is  checked.  Thus  unceasingly  through  the  centuries  this  great  stream 
goes  on  leveling  down  the  hills  of  central  Alaska,  picking  up  the  soil  and  carrying 
it  in  solution  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  coast,  and  it  is  deposited  where  the  fresh 
water  meets  the  salt  of  the  sea.  The  trees  thus  carried  out  to  sea  are  nature’s  pro¬ 
vision  for  the  Eskimos  on  the  treeless  coast  of  Bering  Sea  and  the  Arctic  Ocean, 
driftwood  being  their  only  fuel.  This  vast  delta  region  of  the  Yukon  is  filled  with 
marshes  and  lakes  and  is  liable  to  overflows;  it  is  also  a  breeding  ground  of  innu¬ 
merable  wild  geese  and  other  fowl. 

The  river  is  navigable  for  light-draft  steamers  for  2,000  miles  to  Fort  Selkirk 
and  even  beyond  that  point,  with  short  portages  around  rapids,  while  its  tributa¬ 
ries — the  Anvik,  Koyukuk,  Tanana,  Porcupine,  White,  Pelly,  and  other  rivers — 
are  navigable  for  from  100  to  600  miles. 

A  middle-aged  lady  who  was  following  her  husband  to  live  in  this  wilderness 
was  so  impressed  with  the  continuous  steaming  up  this  great  river  day  and  night, 
week  after  week  for  three  weeks,  without  passing  a  single  large  town,  and  only 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1635 


seeing  small  Indian  settlements,  or  here  and  there  a  fishing  camp  or  trader's  post, 
while  the  great  yellow  flood  seemed  to  flow  on  with  but  little  diminution  in  vol¬ 
ume,  that  she  felt  as  if  she  had  been  on  the  river  for  ages,  and  broke  out  with  the 
exclamation,  “  Will  it  never  come  to  an  end;  must  I  continue  to  go  on  and  on  for 
ever  and  ever?”  and  retiring  to  her  stateroom  found  relief  in  a  good  cry. 

At  5  a.  m.  on  July  7  the  steamer  reached  the  head  of  the  delta,  where  another 
supply  of  firewood  was  taken  on  board.  Indeed,  during  the  whole  trip  the  steamer 
seemed  to  stop  about  every  six  hours  for  wood.  The  river  is  lined  with  white 
pme,  which  is  cut  bj7-  the  natives  and  piled  up  convenient  for  the  steamers.  This 
wood  costs  from  $4  to  $6  per  cord,  and  the  steamer  uses  from  25  to  30  cords  a  day. 
Leaving  the  head  of  the  delta,  low  hills  begin  to  appear  along  the  north  bank  of  the 
river.  For  300  miles  farther  the  river  was  so  wide  that  in  places,  standing  upon 
one  bank,  the  other  could  not  be  seen. 

At  8.30  a.  m.  we  reached  Andreafski,  216  miles  from  St.  Michael,  where  we 
stopped  for  wood,  and  also  for  mending  our  boiler  pipes,  which  were  leaking  badly. 
At  this  village  were  several  well-hewn  log  houses,  back  of  which  were  a  number 
of  graves,  the  dead  being  deposited  in  boxes  laid  on  top  of  the  ground.  All  cen¬ 
tral  and  northern  Alaska,  including  the  Yukon  Valley,  has  a  frozen  subsoil  which 
never  thaws  out.  This  has  been  dug  into  30  feet  without,  getting  below  the  frost. 
On  the  banks  of  some  of  the  streams  north  of  the  Yukon  a  stratum  of  frozen  soil 
has  been  found  over  100  feet  thick.  Yet  to  look  upon  the  acres  of  brilliant  wild 
flowers  and  of  grasses  waist  high,  and  miles  upon  miles  of  white  pine,  aspen,  and 
willows,  wfth  the  thermometer  above  100°  in  the  shade,  it  is  very  difficult  to  realize 
that  one  is  under  the  Arctic  Circle. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  and  almost  impossibility  of  digging  graves  in  the  frozen 
ground  with  rude  native  implements,  the  custom  universally  prevails  of  deposit¬ 
ing  the  dead  in  boxes  either  on  the  ground  or  on  platforms  above  the  reach  of  wild 
animals. 

At  Andreafski  we  first  met  the  birch-bark  canoe,  showing  that  this  village  was 
on  the  border  land  between  the  Eskimos  of  the  coast  and  the  Indians  of  the  Inte¬ 
rior,  the  universal  boat  of  the  Eskimos  being  the  skin- covered  kiak  and  that  of  the 
Indian  the  birch- bark  canoe.  Andreafski  has  secured  some  prominence  this  season 
as  the  point  to  which  provision  supplies  from  St.  Michael  that  could  not  be  taken 
to  the  mines  on  the  upper  courses  of  the  river  were  landed  for  winter  use,  and  also 
to  be  accessible  to  the  river  steamers  in  the  early  spring,  the  ice  in  the  Yukon 
River  breaking  sometimes  a  month  in  advance  of  the  ice  in  Bering  Sea.  This 
permits  the  river  steamers  to  load  up  in  the  spring  and  go  to  the  head  waters  of 
the  river  and  return  down  the  stream  to  the  coast  by  the  time  that  ocean  steamers 
can  reach  St.  Michael  through  the  ice  of  Bering  Sea. 

The  low  shoals  which  were  encountered  at  the  ocean  side  of  the  delta  gradually 
increase  in  size  as  the  river  is  ascended  until  at  the  head  of  the  delta  they  become 
islands,  upon  which  poplars  and  willows  are  found  20  to  30  feet  high. 

Soon  after  leaving  Andreafski,.  scattered  white  pine  began  to  appear.  Leaving 
Andreafski  and  rounding  a  bold  promontory,  we  passed  the  mouth  of  Andreafski 
River,  a  broad  stream  flowing  from  the  north  and  passing  through  a  gold-bearing 
country.  Two  miners  were  reported  as  having  been  seen  on  the  stream  some 
months  working  mines. 

At  9  a.  m.  on  July  8  we  reached  Ikogmute,  or,  as  it  is  more  popularly  known, 
the  Russian  Mission.  It  has  a  population  of  150  natives,  and  is  315  miles  by  way 
of  the  river  from  St.  Michael.  At  this  place  Father  Belkoff ,  the  former  priest  of 
the  Oriental  Greek  Church  (now  an  invalid)  built  one  of  the  best  church  build¬ 
ings  belonging  to  that  denomination  in  Alaska.  Father  Orloff ,  the  present  priest, 
has  an  excellent  garden  on  the  hill  slope  in  the  rear  of  the  parsonage.  Just  above 
the  village,  bold  and  perpendicular  rock  cliffs  save  the  village  from  being  swept 
away  by  the  great  yellow  floods  which  sweep  along  their  base,  or  ice  gorges  which 
form  each  spring  in  its  vicinity.  Along  the  entire  village  front  were  racks  cov¬ 
ered  with  salmon  hung  up  to  dry  for  the  winter.  The  run  of  salmon  this  season 
has  proved  very  large.  A  year  ago  the  run  of  fish  was  correspondingly  poor,  and 
as  a  result  last  winter  there  was  great  scarcity  of  food  among  the  people.  One 
woman  and  a  boy  actually  starved  to  death. 

At  2  o’clock  in  the  morning  of  July  9  the  steamer  reached  Koserefski  (410  miles) . 
This  is  the  location  of  the  largest  mission  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  on  the 
Yukon  River.  A  number  of  passengers  remained  up  to  visit  the  mission,  but 
upon  going  to  the  buildings  found  everything  securely  locked,  and  the  teachers  so 
soundly  asleep  that  they  were  unaware  of  the  presence  of  the  steamer. 

After  breakfast  the  steamer  reached  Anvik  (457  miles),  where  we  remained 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  to  get  wood  for  the  steamer.  On  shore,  chained  to 
posts,  were  from  twelve  to  fifteen  sled  dogs  belonging  to  the  villagers.  These  dogs 


1636 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

are  found  in  every  settlement  and  fishing  camp  in  Alaska.  They  are  a  cross 
between  the  dog  and  the  wolf,  receiving  but  little  attention  from  their  owners. 
When  not  upon  their  journey  they  subsist  chiefly  by  foraging  and  become  adept 
thieves,  so  that  everything  eatable,  even  their  own  harness,  has  to  be  stored  away 
on  platforms  above  their  reach.  This  has  given  rise  to  the  custom  everywhere  pre¬ 
vailing  along  the  Yukon  River  and  in  northern  and  central  Alaska  of  erecting 
small  log  houses  upon  platforms  elevated  10  or  12  feet  above  the  ground.  These 
houses  are  used  for  storing  dried  fish  and  other  property  that  needs  to  be  kept 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  dogs.  Among  other  things,  these  dogs  are  celebrated  for 
their  habit  of  howling  at  night.  Upon  the  approach  of  a  stranger  some  dog  will 
set  up  a  howl,  upon  which  all  the  dogs  within  hearing  will  join  in.  There  may 
not  be  over  a  dozen  dogs  in  the  neighborhood,  but  when  they  commence  to  howl 
a  stranger  would  be  sure  that  there  were  a  hundred,  if  not  a  thousand,  of  them. 

These  dogs  are  the  common  carriers  of  Alaska,  dragging  sleds  in  winter  and  car¬ 
rying  packs  in  summer.  The  average  load  of  a  dog  sled  is  125  pounds.  The  great 
drawback  to  their  use  is  the  necessity  of  carrying  food  for  them  on  long  journeys. 
A  team  of  dogs  carrying  freight  requires  a  second  team  of  dogs  for  hauling  food 
for  the  two  teams,  and  when  a  journey  is  required  through  an  unsettled  section 
of  the  country  dogs  become  unavailable  because  of  the  impossibility  of  carrying 
sufficient  food  or  procuring  fresh  supplies  for  the  teams.  This  difficulty  will  be 
overcome  when  domestic  reindeer  are  introduced  into  Alaska  in  sufficient  num¬ 
bers  to  dispense  with  the  use  of  dogs.  The  reindeer  will  haul  heavier  loads  and 
cover  greater  distances  than  the  dogs  and  require  no  transportation* of  food  for 
its  own  maintenance.  When  the  day’s  work  is  done  they  can  be  turned  out  to 
graze,  even  in  the  severest  weather  of  the  winter.  The  reindeer  is  to  the  arctic 
and  subarctic  regions  what  the  camel  is  to  the  oriental  and  tropical  lands. 

Anvik  is  the  first  of  a  series  of  missions  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 
The  missionaries  at  this  point  are  the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Chapman  and  Miss  B. 
Sabine.  Mr.  Chapman  has,  under  great  difficulties,  erected  a  neat  little  chapel,  a 
comfortable  residence,  schoolrooms,  and  boarding  house  for  the  shelter  of  the 
Indian  children  taken  into  the  home.  A  small  sawmill  has  also  been  erected  in 
connection  with  the  mission. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  its  source,  through  all  the  vast  Yukon  Valley 
with  its  tributaries — indeed  all  over  central  and  northern  Alaska — mosquitoes 
abound  in  July  and  August  in  such  numbers  as  to  become  a  veritable  plague.  The 
hot  sun  of  summer  thawing  the  frozen  ground  for  a  few  inches  leaves  water  stand¬ 
ing,  unable  to  soak  away  through  the  frozen  subsoil  beneath,  converting  the  whole 
country  into  one  immense  swamp,  from  which  are  bred  clouds  of  mosquitoes. 
They  are  so  great  an  infliction  that  some  of  the  teachers  declare  that  the  extreme 
cold  of  winter  (77°  below  zero)  is  preferable  to  the  mosquito  time  in  summer,  and 
strong,  vigorous  men  accustomed  to  hardships  have  been  known  to  sit  down  on  the 
ground  and  cry  like  children  under  the  torture  of  mosquitoes.  While  the  river 
steamers  are  in  motion  the  passengers  are  not  much  troubled  with  them,  but  when 
a  landing  is  made  for  putting  on  freight  or  taking  on  wood  the  mosquitoes  swarm 
aboard  in  quantities,  compelling  the  use  of  netting  for  the  protection  of  the  head 
and  face  and  of  leather  gloves  for  the  hands.  Wild  animals  sometimes  die  from 
the  effects  of  their  stings. 

On  Saturday,  July  10,  while  u  wooding  up,”  the  passengers  picked  wild  currants 
just  turning  red.  They  also  found  protruding  from  the  bank  of  the  river  ice,  which 
was  brought  on  board.  We  were  now  at  a  point  where  in  winter  the  natives  are 
accustomed  to  portage  across  the  country  to  Unalaklik  and  thence  down  the  coast 
to  St.  Michael.  From  St.  Michael  by  way  of  the  river  is  550  miles,  across  the 
portage  about  150  miles,  making  a  saving  in  distance  of  400  miles. 

At  midnight  we  reached  Nulato  (648  miles).  This  village  is  in  the  neighbor¬ 
hood  of  the  most  remote  of  the  early  Russian  trading  posts,  which  was  established 
by  Nalakoff  in  1838,  after  which  he  and  his  party  returned  to  St.  Michael  for  the 
winter.  During  the  winter  the  buildings  were  burned  by  the  natives. 

In  1841  the  post  was  reestablished  and  rebuilt  by  Deravin.  In  1851  it  was  the 
scene  of  a  massacre,  among  the  victims  being  Lieutenant  Barnard,  of  the  British 
navy,  and  a  member  of  Admiral  Kollinson’s  expedition  in  search  of  Sir  John 
Franklin.  Lieutenant  Barnard  had  been  detailed  to  ascend  the  Yukon  River  and 
ascertain  whether  the  natives  could  give  any  tidings  of  Sir  John  Franklin's  party. 
Reaching  Nulato,  he  dispatched  one  of  the  employees  of  the  fur  company  and  an 
Indian  into  the  Koyukok  Valley  for  information.  The  Russian,  on  his  arrival  at 
the  native  village,  fell  asleep  on  his  sledge,  and  in  the  absence  of  his  servant,  who 
had  gone  to  obtain  water,  was  killed  by  the  natives,  the  servant  himself  being 
afterwards  killed.  The  murderers  then  gathered  a  force  of  about  one  hundred 
and  started  for  the  Russian  post  at  Nulato.  Reaching  a  settlement  of  the  Nulato 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1637 


Indians,  they  heaped  wood,  broken  canoes,  paddles,  and  snowshoes  in  front  of  the 
entrance  and  smoke  holes  of  the  native  houses,  and  then,  setting  them  on  fire, 
suffocated  almost  the  entire  population,  only  five  or  six  escaping.  The  next  morn¬ 
ing,  swarming  into  the  courtyard  of  the  fort,  they  made  an  attack,  killing  the 
commander,  also  Lieutenant  Barnard  and  others.  No  punishment  was  ever  meted 
out  to  the  murderers,  and  the  reason  of  their  wholesale  butchery  remains  involved 
in  mystery. 

This  village  is  the  site  of  a  Roman  Catholic  mission,  and  Father  Monroe,  the 
priest,  was  at  the  landing  to  greet  us.  At  Nulato  the  Yukon  River,  which  has 
been  running  for  350  miles  in  a  northern  and  eastern  direction,  turns  directly 
eastward.  Just  above  the  village  is  the  mouth  of  the  Koyukuk  River,  a  large 
tributary  from  the  north.  A  small  steamer  has  ascended  this  river  some  600  miles, 
and  gold  has  been  found  along  its  course  in  paying  quantities.  I  gathered  from 
the  fur  traders  that  have  been  in  the  country  for  many  years,  and  also  from  the 
miners  that  have  been  longest  in  the  country,  their  conviction  that  when  the  gold 
fields  of  the  country  are  explored  and  more  is  known  concerning  them,  the 
richest  mines  in  all  Alaska  will  be  found  along  the  course  of  this  stream.  It  is  a 
noticeable  fact  that  the  tributaries  of  the  Yukon  flowing  from  the  north  are  clear 
water,  while  those  from  the  south  are  muddy  like  the  main  river.  This  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  streams  from  the  south  take  their  rise  from  the  glaciers  of 
southern  Alaska,  and  also  that  some  of  them  run  through  a  region  covered  with 
volcanic  ash,  which  is  easily  washed  away  and  held  in  solution.  In  recent  geo¬ 
logical  times  there  has  been  an  eruption  of  volcanic  dust  in  southern  Alaska  which 
has  covered  an  area  of  20,000  square  miles  to  a  varving  depth  of  from  a  few  inches 
to  50  feet. 

On  Monday,  July  12,  we  passed,  in  the  afternoon,  the  abandoned  buildings  of 
the  old  Tanana  trading  post,  and  a  few  miles  farther  on  made  a  call  at  Fort 
Adams,  the  site  of  the  St.  James  Episcopal  mission.  The  missionaries  in  charge 
are  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  L.  Prevost.  A  pleasant  call  was  had  with  the  missionaries. 
Mrs.  Prevost  had  the  pleasure  of  having  with  her  for  a  visit  her  mother  from  the 
East. 

The  Tanana  trading  post  having  been  removed  8  miles  from  its  former  position 
to  a  point  on  the  north  bank  abreast  of  the  mouth  of  the  Tanana  River,  the  St. 
James  Episcopal  mission  is  also  to  be  removed  to  the  same  neighborhood,  the 
waters  of  the  Yukon  having  shoaled  and  made  a  landing  difficult  at  the  old  sites. 
The  mouth  of  the  Tanana,  897  miles  from  St.  Michael,  bids  fair  to  prove  a  central 
and  permanent  location  in  the  affairs  of  the  Yukon  Valley,  being  midway  between 
the  mouth  of  the  river  on  Bering  Sea  and  the  crossing  of  the  international  bound¬ 
ary  line  on  the  Upper  Yukon.  This  point  has  been  recommended  to  the  United 
States  Government  by  Captain  Ray,  U.  S.  A.,  as  the  best  location  for  a  military 
post.  If  the  Territory  shall  be  divided  into  two  districts,  this  point  will  probably 
be  the  capital  of  the  second.  It  will  also  probably  be  the  northern  terminus  of  a 
trunk  line  of  a  railway  either  from  Cooks  Inlet  or  Prince  William  Sound,  the 
railroad  ascending  to  the  Sushitna  River  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Tanana  and 
down  the  Tanana  to  the  Yukon. 

On  the  1st  of  March  a  meteor  fell  near  the  Episcopal  buildings.  Though  the 
night  was  dark,  the  whole  heavens  were  lighted  up  with  its  brilliancy.  Many  of 
the  natives  were  much  frightened  at  the  phenomenon.  During  the  past  winter 
Ivan,  the  great  chief  of  the  Tanana,  died  and  was  buried  in  the  mission  cemetery. 
His  kingdom  stretched  from  Camp  Stevens  to  Novikakat,  on  the  Yukon  River; 
also  for  500  miles  up  the  Tanana  Valley  and  across  the  portage,  including  the 
head  waters  of  the  Kuskokwim  River.  From  his  early  manhood  he  had  proven 
himself  the  friend  of  the  Russians,  and  latterly  of  the  Americans.  Many  years 
ago  the  wife  of  a  Russian  trader  who  had  a  store  in  the  Tanana  Valley  had 
incurred  the  enmity  of  some  of  the  people,  and  one  of  their  number  was  persuaded 
by  the  shamans  to  kill  her,  which  he  did  by  shooting  her  in  her  own  house. 
Encouraged  by  the  deed,  arrangements  were  commenced  for  killing  the  trader 
also.  At  this  juncture  Ivan  reached  the  scene  and  interposed  to  save  the  life  of 
the  trader.  This  so  incensed  the  shamans  that  they  threatened  to  kill  him  also. 
Drawing  himself  up  to  his  full  height  of  6  feet,  with  flashing  eyes  he  bade  them 
defiance  and  saved  the  white  man. 

The  natives  of  this  region  are  in  transition  from  their  own  to  the  white  man’s 
way.  Old  customs  are  losing  their  hold  upon  them,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
any  other  leader  will  arise  from  among  them. 

At  Nuklukahyet  (Mayos  Place  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tanana)  a  miner  was 
brought  on  board  who  had  been  found  by  the  natives  in  a  starving  condition.  He 
had  been  off  prospecting  by  himself  on  the  Koyukuk  River.  In  running  a  rapid 
he  lost  his  footing  and  "all  his  provisions,  saving  only  his  gun  and  ax.  His  team 


1638 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

of  dogs  were  stung  to  death  Ly  mosquitoes.  He  struggled  across  the  country  for 
300  miles,  his  only  food  a  moose  which  he  had  shot  and  on  which  he  had  lived 
eighteen  days.  When  found  he  was  naked,  starving,  and  out  of  his  mind. 

The  Tanana  is  the  largest  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Yukon.  Taking  its  rise  among 
the  group  of  ice-covered  mountains  in  southern  Alaska,  it  flows  northward,  empty¬ 
ing  into  the  Yukon.  It  is  navigable  for  several  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth. 
Gold  has  been  found  along  its  course.  It  has  a  scattered  native  population  of 
about  1,000,  who  are  under  the  care  of  the  St.  James  Episcopal  mission.  The  head 
waters  of  the  Tanana  rise  on  the  high  table  lands  from  which  also  flow  the  head 
waters  of  the  Sushitna  and  Copper  rivers  into  the  Pacific  Ocean;  the  Forty  Mile 
Creek  and  White  River  into  the  Upper  Yukon.  While  the  steamer  lay  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Tanana,  taking  on  wood  and  cleaning  its  boilers,  we  received  a  visit 
from  the  Rev.  J.  L.  Prevost  on  his  little  steam  launch,  the  Northern  Light.  This 
vessel,  40  by  25  feet  in  size,  was  built  by  the  Union  Iron  Works  of  San  Francisco, 
and  equipped  with  a  Roberts  safety  water  tube.  It  is  capable  of  carrying  a  wood 
supply  sufficient  for  forty-eight  hours  continuous  steaming,  and  is  fitted  up  with 
a  comfortable  cabin  for  the  missionaries.  This  little  launch  has  proved  of  great 
service  in  visiting  the  small  native  settlements  on  the  Yukon  and  Tanana  river, 
with  their  smaller  tributaries.  Mr.  Prevost  has  the  honor  of  publishing  the  first 
newspaper  ever  printed  in  the  Yukon  Valley.  His  little  paper,  called  the  Yukon 
Press,  is  practically  an  annual,  but  one  number  being  published  during  last  year. 
This  paper,  with  the  Eskimo  Bulletin,  also  an  annual,  published  at  Cape  Prince 
of  Wales,  Bering  Straits,  by  W.  T.  Lopp,  the  missionary,  are  the  only  papers  up 
to  this  time  that  have  been  published  in  central  or  arctic  Alaska.  As  the  editors 
of  these  Alaskan  papers  have  had  but  one  mail  a  year,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that 
their  papers  should  appear  any  oftener. 

On  the  afternoon  of  July  13  the  steamer  entered  a  section  of  the  Yukon  Valley 
known  as  “Lower  Rampart.”  This  was  formed  by  the  river  in  some  former  age 
having  broken  through  a  range  of  mountains.  The  scenery  through  the  canyon 
was  so  grand  and  wild  that  but  few  of  the  passengers  were  willing  to  go  to  bed, 
but  remained  up  nearly  all  night. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  July  19  we  reached  the  mouth  of  Munook  Creek  (1,075 
miles).  At  the  mouth  of  this  creek,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Yukon  River,  a  new 
town  has  been  laid  out  and  named  “Rampart  City.”  At  the  time  of  our  arrival 
the  city  consisted  of  a  good  log  store  building,  two  or  three  log  huts,  and  half  a 
dozen  tents.  Twenty-one  men  were  reported  at  work  in  the  mines  along  the  creek, 
about  6  miles  from  the  village.  A  mining  district  had  been  established,  with  Mr. 
O.  C.  Miller  as  recorder,  and  town  lots  were  sold  at  $300  each.  Nearly  a  month 
later  I  returned  down  the  river.  Lots  had  doubled  in  price,  and  the  population 
had  increased  to  about  200.  A  month  later  the  population  had  increased  to  1,000, 
and  corner  lots  were  selling  at  $200  and  $300  in  gold  dust,  and  probably  by  this 
time  it  is  the  largest  city  in  central  Alaska.  An  acquaintance* sank  a  shaft  4  feet 
square  and  20  feet  deep  to  bed  rock,  taking  out  $3,250  in  gold  nuggets. 

The  course  of  the  steamer  after  leaving  Rampart  City  was  through  the  canyon, 
the  hills  rising  on  both  sides  of  the  river  from  500  to  2,000  feet,  making  interesting 
scenery. 

On  July  15,  at  2  o’clock  a.  m.,  we  reached  Fort  Hamlin,  a  new  trading  post  estab¬ 
lished  by  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company;  and  soon  after  we  passed  out  from  the 
canyon  into  that  portion  of  the  river  known  as  the  Yukon  Flats,  where  it  broadens 
out  into  a  lake-like  expanse  80  miles  wide,  filled  with  many  islands,  no  hills  being 
visible  on  either  side.  The  flats  continue  for  over  200  miles,  at  the  upper  end  being 
situated  the  mining  town  of  Circle  City.  In  a  former  period,  when  the  Rampart 
Mountains  stood  a  barrier  to  the  drainage  westward,  this  great  plain,  comprising 
an  area  of  100,000  square  miles,  more  or  less,  was  covered  with  water,  into  which 
the  Porcupine,  the  Pelly,  the  White,  the  Stewart,  the  Birch,  and  other  streams 
poured  their  floods,  washing  down  the  mountains  and  the  hills  and  covering  the 
plain  many  feet  deep  with  sediment.  In  places  where  the  present  streams  have 
cut  a  channel  through  this  sediment  heaps  of  driftwood  were  found  buried  in  200 
feet  of  clay.  Geological  evidences  show  the  bed  of  the  Porcupine  River  200  feet 
higher  than  now.  If  it  is  true,  as  reported,  that  the  bed  of  a  great  river  exists 
among  the  mountain  ravines  of  southern  Alaska,  it  may  be  that  it  was  the  outlet 
of  this  inland  sea.  In  time,  through  erosion  or  rending  of  the  mountain  barriers 
by  earthquake  or  in  some  other  way,  an  outlet  was  opened  to  the  westward,  and 
the  released  waters  swept  irresistibly  to  the  sea,  carrying  with  their  angry  flood 
sediment  which  extended  the  land  hundreds  of  miles  into  the  Bering  Sea.  *  After 
the  subsidence  of  the  waters  this  region  became  the  home  of  the  mastodon,  the 
bones  and  tusks  of  which  are  found  in  large  numbers. 

On  July  16  we  met  and  passed  the  steamer  J.  J.  Healy  on  its  way  down  the  river. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1639 


Among  the  passengers  was  Professor  Ogilvie,  of  the  Canadian  geological  survey. 
Being  anxious  to  see  the  old  historic  Fort  Yukon,  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Com¬ 
pany,  and  the  mouth  of  the  Porcupine  River,  in  the  neighborhood  of  which  we 
were  on  the  evening  of  the  16th,  I  concluded  to  remain  up  all  night.  At  midnight 
(12.45  a.  m.)  I  saw  the  sun  rise  in  the  north,  like  a  great  globe  of  bright,  glowing, 
red-hot  iron  in  a  furnace.  About  6  a.  m.  we  passed  the  fort,  without  stopping. 
A  large  number  of  natives  lined  the  banks  of  the  river.  Besides  numerous  tents, 
there  were  several  log  houses,  among  them  being  a  small  one  surmounted  by  a 
cross  and  belonging  to  the  Episcopal  mission.  A  mile  and  a  half  east  of  the  station 
we  passed  the  site  of  the  old  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company’s  post,  now  abandoned. 
Only  a  clear  space  and  a  few  foundations  mark  the  place  once  occupied  by  the 
post.  A  good-sized  cemetery  occupies  a  dry  mound  back  of  the  ruins,  and  is  a 
touching  reminder  of  the  days  when  this  far-off  wilderness  spot  under  the  Arctic 
Circle  was  the  center  of  life  and  civilization,  with  its  loves  and  hates,  hopes  and 
fears,  strifes  and  ambitions. 

Here  the  all-powerful  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company  met  and  contended  with  the 
equally  powerful  Russian- American  Fur  Company,  backed  by  their  respective 
Governments. 

Plucking  the  brilliant  flowers  of  the  fire  plant  as  a  souvenir  for  a  friend  in  New 
York  City,  who  was  born  here  when  her  father  ruled  as  the  chief  factor  of  the 
company,  I  watched  the  receding  spot  until  a  turn  in  the  river  hid  it  from  sight. 

As  yesterday,  the  scenery  continued  through  an  expanse  of  river,  widening  out 
into  a  lake,  filled  with  many  islands,  covered  with  white  pine,  aspen,  and  willows, 
and  sand  bars  so  recently  out  of  the  water  as  to  be  bare  of  all  vegetation. 

We  had  expected  to  be  in  Circle  City  during  the  night  of  July  18,  but  green  fire¬ 
wood,  swift  current,  low  stage  of  water,  and  worn-out  boiler  flues  all  conspired 
to  detain  us,  so  that  morning  found  us  still  20  miles  away.  The  morning  dawned 
with  a  cold  rain  and  great  discomfort  among  the  passengers.  At  10  o’clock  we 
stopped  to  take  on  wood.  Mr.  R.  Wilson,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  wood  yard  for 
steamers,  at  the  same  time  provides  fresh  vegetables.  As  soon  as  a  sufficient  num¬ 
ber  of  trees  are  cut  down  to  let  the  sunlight  reach  the  ground,  he  loosens  the  soil 
between  the  stumps  and  roots  with  a  pickax  and  sows  turnips,  rutabagas,  and 
cabbage.  Last  season,  on  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  that  uncleared  ground  between 
stumps,  he  raised  and  sold  3,000  pounds  of  turnips  at  15  cents  per  pound,  besides 
large  quantities  of  cabbages  and  rutabagas.  The  rutabaga  seed  sown  the  last  of 
May,  this  season,  now  (in  less  than  two  months)  have  a  spread  of  leaves  2  feet 
across. 

At  1  p.  m.  we  reached  Circle  City.  Mr.  Kjellman,  who  had  preceded  me  by 
another  boat,  met  me  at  the  landing;  he  had  been  able  to  make  an  overland  trip 
to  the  mines  tributary  to  the  city  and  had  ascertained  that  the  whole  region  was 
admirably  adapted  for  the  support  of  reindeer  and  for  the  successful  running  of 
reindeer  expresses  and  freight  lines.  Circle  City  is  the  largest  collection  of  well- 
built  log  cabins  that  I  have  seen;  at  least  in  a  great  many  years.  Four  large  store 
and  ware  houses  are  made  of  corrugated  galvanized  iron.  The  opera  and  dance 
houses  and  two  or  three  of  the  more  pretentious  residences  are  of  hewn  logs.  The 
log  residence  of  the  North  American  Transportation  and  Trading  Company  is  said 
to  have  cost  $20,000,  and  that  of  Mr.  Jack  McQueston  $15,000.  The  great  majority 
of  the  buildings  are  small,  one-story  cabins  built  of  logs,  the  spaces  between  the 
logs  being  filled  with  moss.  The  roofs  are  made  with  poles  covered  with  moss, 
on  which  is  placed  a  foot  of  dirt.  A  year  ago  the  place  had  a  population  of  2,000; 
to-day  there  are  about  50,  and  the  majority  of  them  are  expecting  to  leave  on  our 
boat. 

Circle  City  was  founded  in  the  fail  of  1894,  and  named  because  of  its  nearness  to 
the  Arctic  Circle.  It  is  the  distributing  point  for  the  rich  gold  placer  mines  of 
Birch  Creek,  which  is  a  river  6  miles  east  of  Circle  City  and  runs  a  distance  of 
between  200  and  300  miles  in  a  general  course  parallel  with  the  Yukon  River. 
Among  the  interesting  tributaries  of  Birch  Creek  is  “  Preachers  Creek,”  so  named 
because  first  explored  by  a  missionary  in  search  of  fossils,  which  abound  in  some 
portions  of  the  Yukon  fiats.  Gold  was  first  found  on  Birch  Creek  in  1893.  Since 
then  prospecting  has  been  going  on  so  vigorously  that  the  creek,  with  its  many 
tributaries,  has  been  definitely  proven  to  be  very  rich  in  mineral  deposits. 
Although  the  rush  this  present  season  is  to  the  more  recently  discovered  mines  on 
the  Klondike  River,  yet  400  miners  remain  at  work  on  Birch  Creek,  and  doubtless 
in  a  year  or  two  the  now  almost  depopulated  Circle  City  will  be  again  peopled. 

During  last  winter  a  successful  public  school  was  kept  at  this  place  by  Miss  A. 
Fulcomer,  but  in  the  spring,  when  the  miners  left  for  the  Klondike,  they  were 
accompanied  by  their  families  and  children  and  the  school  was  broken  up. 

Leaving  Circle  City  at  9  o’clock  in  the  evening,  we  soon  met  the  steamer  Alice  on 


1640 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

her  way  down  the  river.  Just  above  Circle  City  the  river  leaves  the  flats  and  is 
again  bordered  on  both  sides  by  abrupt  hills  of  sand  and  limestone  with  veins  of 
granite  and  crystalline  gneiss,  which  add  to  the  pleasure  of  the  traveler. 

During  the  night  we  passed  a  small  Indian  settlement  known  as  “  Charley’s 
Village,”  22  miles  from  Circle  City.  This  community  has  received  the  gospel  from 
the  English  missionaries,  who  have  been  in  this  region  since  1858. 

On  the  evening  of  July  19  the  monotony  of  the  trip  was  relieved  by  the  discovery 
on  the  river  bank  of  a  moose  doe  and  her  fawn.  At  once  arose  the  greatest  excite¬ 
ment  on  the  steamer— a  score  of  men  rushing  for  their  rifles,  and  a  fusilade  of  shots 
commenced,  both  animals  being  killed.  The  steamer  was  landed,  and  men.  women, 
and  children  ran  into  the  bushes  to  see  the  game,  which  was  brought  on  board. 

In  the  afternoon  of  July  20  we  passed  the  small  stern- wheel  steamer,  the  Koyn- 
kuk ,  bound  for  the  Klondike  mines.  The  next  morning,  in  trying  to  get  at  some 
driftwood  for  fuel,  the  steamer  ran  aground,  where  we  remained  until  about  6 
p.  m.,  when  we  were  again  afloat. 

On  July  22  the  steamer  stopped  to  “  wood  up  ”  opposite  a  remarkable  headland, 
showing  a  beautiful  geological  formation  of  folded  rock.  Frequently  during  the 
day  masses  of  loose  rock  came  rumbling  down  the  face  of  the  cliff  into  the  water. 

At  noon  on  the  23d  we  passed  two  remarkable  rocks,  known  as  “  The  Old  Man  ” 
and  “  The  Old  Woman.”  Upon  the  top  of  one  of  these  shaft-like  roeks  one  of  the 
old  fort  traders  has  requested  to  be  buried;  an  appropriate  resting  place  for  the 
sole  pioneer  white  man  in  that  region.  At  6.30  p.  m.  we  were  startled  by  the  cry 
of  “A  man  overboard.  ”  The  accident  befell  one  of  the  deck  hands,  who  had  become 
insane,  and  the  untrained  crew  were  so  long  getting  a  boat  into  the  water  that  the 
man  drowned.  The  body  was  not  recovered.  At  7  p.  in.  we  passed  the  mouth  of 
Coal  Creek,  and  soon  after  sighted  on  the  west  shore  the  wrecked  hull  of  the 
steamer  Arctic.  She  was  frozen  up  in  the  ice  during  the  previous  winter,  and  in 
order  to  loosen  her  in  the  ice  this  spring  giant  powder  was  used,  with  the  result  of 
blowing  her  bottom  out.  Boiler  and  engines  were  removed,  to  be  placed  in  another 
boat.  Coal  Creek  enters  the  Yukon  from  the  east  about  7  miles  from  Forty  Mile 
Creek  and  is  navigable  for  a  few  miles.  It  flows  through  a  limestone  formation. 
Extensive  beds  of  lignite  coal  are  reported  in  the  neighborhood. 

About  9  p.  m.  Fort  Cudahy,  at  the  mouth  of  Forty  Mile  Creek,  was  reached. 
Adjoining  this  is  a  trading  post  of  the  North  American  Transportation  and  Trad¬ 
ing  Company.  Near  by  is  Fort  Constantine,  a  stockade  post  occupied  by  the  Cana¬ 
dian  mounted  police,  Captain  Constantine  in  charge.  On  the  opposite,  south  side 
of  the  mouth  of  Forty  Mile  Creek  is  the  village  of  Forty  Mile,  which  has  grown  up 
around  the  old  trading  station  of  Jack  McQueston.  Down  Forty  Mile  Creek  is 
Buxton,  a  Church  of  England  mission  station,  which  was  established  in  1887. 

We  have  now  reached  the  western  limit  of  the  wonderful  missions  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  of  England  in  northwest  Canada.  Commenced  in  1822  by  the 
Rev.  John  West,  who  settled  at  a  Hudson  Bay  fur  trading  station  near  Lake  Win¬ 
nipeg,  they  have  extended  until  now  they  embrace  nearly  all  the  Indian  tribes 
extending  from  the  north  boundary  of  the  United  States  to  the  Arctic  Ocean  and 
from  Labrador  to  the  Alaskan  line.  Through  all  this  wide  region  the  gospel  of 
Christ  has  been  preached  in  eleven  different  languages,  and  thousands  upon  thou¬ 
sands  of  Indians  have  felt  the  transforming  power  of  His  life  in  their  works  and 
lives.  This  region  belongs  to  the  diocese  of  Selkirk,  and  was  created  in  1890  by 
the  division  of  the  diocese  of  Mackenzie  River.  The  Rev.  Dr.  W.  C.  Bompas,  who 
entered  the  mission  work  in  1865  and  was  consecrated  bishop  of  the  diocese  of 
Mackenzie  River  in  1874,  in  the  division  took  the  bishopric  of  Selkirk.  The  diocese 
of  Selkirk  has  but  three  or  four  central  stations,  Rampart  House,  on  the  Porcu¬ 
pine  River,  being  one  of  them.  This  station  was  established  in  1882,  but  owing  to 
the  decrease  of  the  fur  trade  and  consequent  removal  of  the  trading  store  and  fur¬ 
ther  discovery  of  gold  on  the  Yukon  River,  nearly  all  the  natives  have  left,  and  it 
is  probable  that  the  station  will  be  discontinued  at  an  early  day.  Buxton,  on  the 
Yukon  River  at  the  mouth  of  Forty  Mile  Creek,  was  established  in  1887.  Being  in 
the  center  of  the  newly  discovered  gold  diggings,  it  is  well  located  to  reach  the 
native  population.  Selkirk  was  located  in  1892  and  Dawson  in  1897. 

Missionaries. — Right  Rev.  William  C.  Bompas,  bishop,  resident  at  Pelly:  Miss 
M.  K.  Mellet,  assistant.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  H.  A.  Nailor  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  B.  Totty, 
at  Buxton.  Rev.  F.  F.  Fie  welling,  Rev.  Mr.  Bowen,  and  Mr.  G.  A.  McLoud,  at 
Dawson.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  Hanksley,  Fort  Yukon. 

No  more  devoted,  self-sacrificing  men  and  women  are  to  be  found  in  the  terri¬ 
tories  of  England,  Canada,  and  the  United  States,  who  are  hid  away  from  the 
world's  observation  in  the  vast  solitudes  of  arctic  and  subarctic  North  America, 
toiling  to  bring  light  and  joy  of  Christ  into  the  darkened  homes  of  these  dwellings 
of  the  North,  than  these  missionaries.  The  world  never  ceases  to  honor  the  names 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1641 

* 

of  Kane.  Hays,  Hall,  Franklin,  Kellett,  Ross,  Greely,  Peary,  Nansen,  and  many 
others,  who  in  the  cause  of  science  spend  one,  two,  and  three  years  in  the  arctic 
regions;  hut  few  stop  to  think  of  and  to  honor  the  men  and  women  who,  for  the 
sake  of  Christ  and  precious  souls,  are  not  merely  traveling  for  a  few  months,  hut 
are  toiling  year  after  year  amid  the  rigors  and  privations  and  loneliness  and  long 
months  of  continuous  darkness  of  the  arctic  winters.  Let  the  church  he  true  to 
herself  and  honor  such  consecrated  sons  and  daughters  as  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Marsh  at 
Point  Barrow;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lopp  at  Bering  Straits;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gambell  at 
St.  Lawrence  Island;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brevig,  of  Port  Clarence,  the  Swedish  mis¬ 
sionaries  at  Unalaklik  and  Golovin  Bay;  Messrs.  Chapman  and  Prevost  and  their 
devoted  wives  on  the  Yukon  River,  with  Bishop  Bompas  and  his  assistants  in  the 
Northwest  Territory. 

Forty  Mile  Creek  is  so  named  because  it  is  40  miles  from  the  old  Hudson  Bay 
Fur  Company's  trading  post  at  Fort  Reliance.  It  is  about  250  miles  long  and  has 
many  tributaries,  all  of  which  carry  free  gold,  the  discovery  of  which  has  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  world  to  the  upper  Yukon  region.  The  Forty  Mile  Creek 
drains  the  mountainous  region  between  the  valleys  of  the  Yukon  and  Tanana. 
Near  Forty  Milo  is  Miller  Creek,  which  has  proven  very  rich  in  gold.  For  two  or 
three  years  Forty  Mile  and  Fort  Cudahy  were  typical  mining  towns,  with  saloons 
and  gambling  and  dance  halls  in  abundance.  In  1894  rich  discoveries  were  made 
on  Birch  Creek,  and  Forty  Mile  was  deserted  for  Circle  City,  which  after  two  and 
a  half  years  of  fevered  existence  has  been  in  turn  deserted  for  the  new  mines  on 
the  Klondike.  While  the  mines  tributary  to  Fort  Cudahy  and  Forty  Mile  are  on 
the  American  side,  the  villages  themselves  are  on  the  Canadian  side  of  the  inter¬ 
national  boundary  line, 

Wishing  to  visit  the  Church  of  England  missions  at  Buxton,  on  Saturday,  July 
24,  I  made  two  attempts  to  cross  Forty  Mile  Creek  in  a  rowboat,  but  was  unable 
to  accomplish  it,  owing  to  the  strong  current.  At  Fort  Cudahy  I  found  in  con¬ 
nection  with  the  North  American  Transportation  and  Trading  Company’s  station 
an  excellent  garden,  in  which  were  growing  peas,  beans,  lettuce,  turnips,  ruta¬ 
bagas,  beets,  potatoes,  celery,  and  parsnips. 

About  5  p.  m.  the  steamer  swung  out  from  her  landing  for  Dawson,  which 
place  we  reached  the  following  morning,  July  25,  at  0  o’clock.  Nearly  the  entire 
population  seemed  to  be  at  the  landing,  either  to  greet  friends  or  from  curiosity 
to  witness  the  landing  of  newcomers.  Capt.  John  J.  Healy,  manager  of  the 
North  American  Trading  and  Transportation  Company,  was  on  hand  to  extend 
to  me  the  liosjhtality  of  his  home  during  my  stay.  Although  it  was  Sunday,  the 
two  sawmills  were  running  day  and  night;  every  kind  of  business,  especially 
house  building,  was  in  full  blast.  Four  thousand  people  were  living  in  tents,  and 
an  arctic  winter  approaching. 

The  temperature  for  January,  1896,  was  47£°  below  zero,  during  the  winter  the 
lowest  point  being  77°  below  zero.  Dawson  is  50  miles  from  Fort  Cudahy,  on  the 
north  of  the  Yukon  and  southwest  bank  of  the  Klondike  River.  It  is  6  miles 
above  the  site  of  the  old  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company's  post  of  Fort  Reliance.  The 
town  is  situated  in  an  undrained  swamp,  and  much  sickness  prevails  among  the 
population.  The  city  is  about  eight  months  old  and  is  regularly  laid  out  in  streets 
and  squares.  Lots  fronting  on  the  river  are  selling  for  $7,000  cash  in  gold;  back 
of  the  stream,  from  $1,000  to  $3,000.  Lumber  is  $150  per  thousand  feet  at  the 
mill  and  $300  a  thousand  when  it  reaches  the  mines.  Some  of  the  early  lumber 
sawed  by  hand  cost  the  miners  at  the  rate  of  $750  per  thousand  feet.  Salmon  and 
moose  were  $50  per  pound;  hay,  $125  per  ton,  and  none  to  be  had;  wages,  $10  to 
$12  per  day,  with  mechanics  at  $15;  ice,  $1  per  pound;  flour  at  $12  per  hundred¬ 
weight;  a  team  of  horses  and  driver,  $50  per  day.  The  Canadian  Government 
was  erecting  comfortable  headquarters  for  the  mounted  police,  and  large  log 
warehouses  were  in  process  of  construction  for  the  two  commercial  companies. 
The  banks  of  the  river  were  lined  with  scows  and  fiatboats,  in  which  the  popula¬ 
tion  had  floated  down  the  river;  others  of  these  boats  had  been  covered  with  can¬ 
vas  and  turned  into  houses.  At  half  j)ast  2  in  the  afternoon  Rev.  Mr.  Bowen,  of 
the  Church  of  England,  held  a  service,  which  I  missed,  not  having  been  able  to 
ascertain  the  hour  at  which  it  was  to  be  held. 

The  mines  are  from  12  to  25  miles  up  the  Klondike  River  from  Dawson.  The 
claims  are  300  or  400  feet  wide  up  and  down  the  stream  and  across  the  flats. 
These  claims  were  being  held  at  $100,000  to  $1,000,000  each.  Quarter  interests  in 
these  claims  were  selling  at  $50,000  each.  The  claims  on  the  Klondike  and  its 
tributaries  were  all  taken  up  long  before  my  arrival,  and  weeks  before  the  tidings 
of  their  value  reached  the  distant  world.  Would-be  miners,  however,  can  find  in 
the  valleys  of  the  Stewart,  Pelly,  and  other  streams  of  the  Northwest  Territory, 
in  the  valley  of  the  Yukon  and  all  its  tributaries  and  their  innumerable  creeks 


1642 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 


and  brooks  gold  fields  of  greater  or  less  richness;  indeed,  the  area  of  the  gold  field 
practically  covers  four -fifths  of  the  entire  area  of  Alaska,  and  will  furnish  claims 
for  many  years  to  come.  The  newcomer  usually  pitches  a  tent,  and,  when  he 
secures  employment  or  a  claim,  erects  a  small  one-story  log  cabin  for  shelter. 
Moss  is  filled  in  between  the  logs,  and  in  winter  snow  is  piled  up  over  the  house, 
making  it  very  comfortable.  Ice  is  usually  melted  in  winter  for  drinking  water, 
or  cakes  of  ice  are  drawn  to  the  house  and  piled  outside  of  the  door  to  be  brought 
in,  as  occasion  demands,  and  melted  into  water. 

At  7  o’clock  p.  in.,  July  26,  having  bid  adieu  to  friends  and  acquaintances  at 
Dawson  City,  our  steamer  swung  loose  from  the  landing  and  was  soon  racing 
down  the  river  with  a  swift  current,  reaching  Fort  Cudahy  at  10  o’clock,  having 
made  in  three  hours  down  stream  a  distance  that  required  fourteen  hours  to  make 
on  the  way  up. 

The  following  day  we  reached  Circle  City, 'having  traveled  in  twenty-four  hours 
what  took  us  seven  days  to  go  up,  but  our  hopes  were  soon  to  be  blighted.  Shortly 
after  leaving  Circle  City  our  steamer  was  caught  by  the  current  and  swung  upon 
a  sand  bar,  where  we  lay  nineteen  days. 

On  the  13th  of  August,  about  1  p.  m.,  the  cry  of  “Steamboat!  ”  was  heard,  and 
soon  after  the  J.  J.  Hecily  was  made  out  on  her  return  down  the  river,  and  at  6 
p.  m.,  after  our  detention  of  nineteen  days,  the  passengers  were  transferred  from 
the  Weave  to  the  Healy,  upon  which  we  continued  our  journey  to  St.  Michael. 

On  the  evening  of  August  20  the  steamer  Hamilton  was  met  coming  up  the  river. 
Being  the  first  steamer  to  carry  a  search-light,  it  created  much  interest  and  some 
consternation  among  the  natives.  The  two  steamers  were  tied  up  together  for 
the  night.  On  the  incoming  steamer  was  the  first  rush  of  miners  that  had  been 
able  to  start  from  the  outside  after  the  tidings  had  reached  them.  It  was  crowded 
with  gold  seekers  and  adventurers,  among  them  being  ex- Governor  McGraw,  of 
the  State  of  Washington;  also  many  special  correspondents  of  newspapers,  includ¬ 
ing  the  New  York  World  and  Herald,  the  San  Francisco  Chronicle,  Examiner, 
and  Call;  also  the  Post- Intelligencer  and  other  Seattle  papers.  A  supply  of 
papers  was  secured  and  greatly  appreciated  after  being  over  two  months  without 
any  news  from  the  outside  world. 

On  the  30th  of  August  the  revenue  cutter  Bear  reached  St.  Michael,  and  through 
the  courtesy  of  Captain  Tuttle  I  was  permitted  to  move  my  headquarters  to  that 
ship.  On  the  16th  we  sailed  for  a  visit  to  Teller  Reindeer  Station,  Cape  Prince  of 
Wales,  and  the  new  purchase  station  at  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  reaching  Teller  Rein¬ 
deer  Station  September  18.  An  inspection  of  the  station  was  made.  Four  fami¬ 
lies  of  Lapp  herders  and  teachers  whose  time  had  expired  were  taken  on  board 
the  Bear  for  transportation  to  Puget  Sound  en  route  to  their  homes  in  Lapland. 
Five  young  Eskimo  girls  and  one  boy  were  also  received  on  board  for  transporta¬ 
tion  to  Puget  Sound  on  their  way  to  the  Indian  school  at  Carlisle,  Pa.  On  the 
morning  of  the  20th  the  ship  sailed  for  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  Siberia,  reaching  there 
on  the  morning  of  the  21st.  Mr.  John  W.  Kelly,  in  charge  of  the  station,  and  his 
assistants  (Messrs.  Siem  and  St.  Leger)  were  found  in  good  health.  The  new 
building  was  about  completed,  and  200  head  of  deer  had  already  been  secured 
toward  the  herd  which  is  to  be  transported  to  Alaska  next  season.  Sailing  the 
same  evening  and  making  a  short  call  at  King  Island,  St.  Michael  was  reached  on 
the  23d.  Changing  my  quarters  from  the  cutter  Bear  to  the  cutter  Corwin,  I  was 
given  a  passage  by  Captain  Herring  to  San  Francisco.  On  September  26  the 
Corwin  made  a  landing  at  St.  Lawrence  Island,  and  the  captain  very  kindly  took 
on  board  the  teachers,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  C.  Gambell,  Mrs.  Gambell  needing  to 
return  to  the  States  on  account  of  ill  health.  On  the  30th  we  reached  Dutch  Har¬ 
bor,  where  a  stay  of  two  or  three  days  was  made  for  coaling  ship.  Sailing  from 
Dutch  Harbor  October  3,  we  reached  San  Francisco  on  the  13th  and  Washington 
November  1,  thus  completing  a  trip  of  21,736  miles. 

There  are  two  general  ways  of  reaching  the  mines  in  the  Yukon  and  Klondike. 
The  way  involving  the  least  hardship  is  by  the  ocean  and  from  the  Pacific  coast  to 
St.  Michael  by  ocean  steamer,  from  thence  up  the  Yukon  River  by  river  steamer 
to  the  mines. 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1643 


Distances  from  St.  Michael  up  the  Yukon  River. 


Miles. 


Prom  San  Francisco  to  Unalaska . 2,369 

From  Unalaska  to  St.  Michael .  800 

St.  Michael  to  Pastolik  (mouth  of  Yukon).  72 

Keetalek .  77 

Keesilvak .  154 

“  Foot  of  the  Mountain  ” .  193 

Audreafski . 216 

Russian  mission .  315 

Holy  Cross  Mission .  410 

Anvik. . -  457 

Nulato . 648 

Kokrinos .  800 

Burning  Mountain .  849 

Tozamakat . . .  883 

Mouth  of  Tanana .  897 

Rampart  Rapids. .  1, 034 


Miles. 


Manork  Creek .  1, 075 

Stevens  Houses . . .  1,144 

One  Eyes .  1,279 

Mouth  of  Porcupine .  1, 344 

Fort  Yukon . .  1,353 

Sonate  Village . .  1,386 

Circle  City .  1,394 

Charley  River . .  1, 456 

Seventy  Mile  Creek . . .  1, 516 

Ogilvie’s  Camp  Boundary  Line .  1, 560 

Square  Rock .  1,584 

Fort  Cudahy . 1,596 

Forty  Mile  Creek . 1,598 

Fort  Reliance . . . .  1, 640 

Dawson .  1,650 

Klondike .  1,652 


The  following  stern-wheel  steamers  were  running  on  the  river  this  summer: 
Belonging  to  the  North  American  Trading  and  Transportation  Company  were  the 
P.  B.  Weave,  J.  J.  Healy,  and  C.  H.  Hamilton;  belonging  to  the  Alaska  Commer¬ 
cial  Company  were  the  Alice ,  Yukon ,  a  barge  Marguerite ,  the  steam  launch  Beaver, 
and  New  Racket ,  owned  by  A.  Harper;  the  Koukuk,  by  G.  C.  Betties;  the  St. 
Michael,  by  the  Roman  Catholic  mission;  the  Northern  Light,  by  the  American 
Episcopal  mission,  and  the  Explore,  by  the  Russian  Catholic  mission.  The  fare 
from  Seattle  to  Juneau  during  the  summer  ranges  from  $150  to  $300  per  passenger. 
The  drawback  to  this  route  consists  in  the  fact  that  the  miner  does  not  reach  the 
mines  until  the  short  arctic  summer  is  half  gone.  The  harbor  at  St.  Michael  does 
not  open  until  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of  July,  and  it  is  impossible 
for  ocean  vessels  to  reach  St.  Michael  on  account  of  the  ice  before  the  middle  of 
June  at  the  earliest,  and  from  the  1st  of  July  to  the  1st  of  August  to  the  mines, 
according  to  the  ice  conditions  on  the  coast.  The  more  difficult  and  popular  route 
is  that  by  way  of  southeast  Alaska;  a  comfortable  vessel  from  Puget  Sound  to  the 
northern  end  of  Lynn  Canal  or  Chilkoot  Inlet,  or  an  ocean  steamer  to  Dyea  and 
Skagway,  rival  towns  6  miles  apart  on  the  head  waters  of  Chilkoot  Inlet  in  south¬ 
eastern  Alaska. 

Those  starting  from  Skagway  take  what  is  known  as  the  White  Pass,  and  those 
from  Dyea  the  Chilkoot  Pass.  With  the  present  conditions  of  those  passes,  the 
Chilkoot  Pass  is  probably  the  preferable,  but  both  of  them  require  the  undergoing 
of  considerable  hardship.  The  Chilkoot  and  White  passes  involve  some  30  or  40 
miles’  climb  from  the  mountains  on  foot,  which  brings  one  to  the  lakes  at  the 
head  waters  of  the  Yukon  River,  where  boats,  barges,  and  rafts  are  constructed 
upon  which  the  traveler  floats  down  to  the  mines.  To  the  westward  of  the  Chil¬ 
koot  Pass  is  what  is  known  as  the  Dalton  Trail.  This  pass  crosses  the  mountains 
at  a  much  lower  elevation  than  either  of  the  others  and  involves  a  trip  on  foot  or 
horseback  of  250  miles.  This  is  the  trail  used  for  driving  over  to  the  Yukon  River 
beef,  cattle,  and  sheep.  It  is  to  the  eastward  of  Chilkoot  Pass,  commencing  either 
at  Fort  Wrangell  and  ascending  the  Stikine  River  to  Telegraph  Creek,  thence 
overland  by  way  of  Lake  Teslin,  or  starting  from  Juneau  and  going  by  the  Taku 
Inlet  and  River  to  Lake  Teslin,  and  passing  down  the  waters  of  the  same  to  the 
Yukon.  At  present  neither  of  these  routes  is  sufficiently  open  to  make  them 
feasible,  as  a  number  of  miners  found  to  their  great  loss  during  the  past  summer. 
The  distances  by  the  Chilkoot  Pass  route  are  as  follows: 


Distances  from  Dyea. 


Miles. 

From  Seattle  to  Dyea .  1,060 

From  Dyea  to  the  head  of  canoe  naviga¬ 
tion  . 6 

To  the  summit  of  the  Chilkoot  Pass .  14 

Head  of  Lake  Lindeman... .  23 

Foot  of  Lake  Lindeman .  27 

Head  of  Lake  Bennett .  28 

Foot  of  Lake  Bennett . . . 53 

Caribou  Crossing .  56 

Foot  of  Tagish  Lake .  73 

Head  of  Lake  Marsh . 78 

Foot  of  Lake  Marsh . 97 

Head  of  canyon .  123 

Foot  of  canyon  . .  124 

Head  of  White  Horse  Rapids .  125 

Tahkeena  River  .  140 

Head  of  Lake  Le  Barge. .  156 

Foot  of  Lake  Le  Barge .  184 


Hootalinqua  River. 

Cassiar  Bar . 

Big  Salmon  River.. 
Little  Salmon  River 
Five  Fingers  Rapids 

Rink  Rapids . 

Pelly  River . 

White  River . . 

Stewart  River . 

Sixty  Mile  Post . . 

Klondike . 

Fort  Reliance . 

Forty  Mile  Post . . 

Fort  Cudahy . 

Circle  City . 

Fort  Yukon.. . 

Rampart  City  - 


Miles. 

216 
.  242 

249 
.  285 

.  344 

.  350 

.  403 

499 
.  509 

.  529 

.  578 

.  582 

.  628 
.  628 
798 
839 
1,119 


1644 


EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

Prices  at  Dawson ,  Yukon ,  spring  of  1897 . 


Articles. 


1  cup  of  coffee  and  1  lump  sugar.. 

1  meal  (restaurant) . . 

Shaving . 

Hair  cut . 

Washing  calico  dress . 

Washing  1  garment  (apron,  no 

starch) . 

Eggs. . per  dozen. 

Fresh  eggs  . . each. 

Whisky . per  gallon. 

Flour . per  100  pounds. 

Condensed  milk . per  can. 

Potatoes . per  pound. 

Canned  vegetables . 

Canned  fruits . 

Canned  cherries . 

Cheese . per  pound . 

Pickles . . quart  bottle. 

Sugar : 

Granulated . per  pound. 

C . do... 

Matches . per  bunch. 

Extracts . Ppint  bottle. 

Bass  ale . ...do... 

Tea: 

Poor  grade . per  pound. 

Better . do... 

Bacon . . .do... 

Vinegar . . per  quart . 

Gum  boots,  hip . . 

Beans . per  pound. 


Price. 

Articles. 

Price. 

$0.50 

Hudson  Bay  blanket . 

$30.00 

1.50 

Blue  overalls  . . 

2.50 

1.00 

Smoking  tobacco . 

per  pound.. 

2. 00 

1.50 

Chewing  tobacco . 

. ..do _ 

2.00 

1.00 

Ham . 

. .do _ 

.65 

Alum . . . 

.per  ounce. . 

.50 

.50 

Butter. . . 

per  pound. . 

.  50-.  60 

4. 50-5. 00 

Candles  . . . . . 

.per  dozen.. 

1.00 

1.00 

Scott’s  Emulsion . 

...per  pint.. 

3.00 

25. 00-34. 00 

Salts  .  . . 

.per  ounce.. 

.25 

12.00 

Coal  oil . . 

.per  gallon.. 

1.25 

.50 

Sarsaparilla.  . . 

.per  quart.. 

3.00 

.20 

Hostetter’s  Bitters. .. 

3.00 

.75 

Castor  oil _ 

.per  ounce.. 

.25 

.75 

Cough  mixture . 

. ..do _ 

1.00 

1.00 

Pond’s  Extract . 

...per  pint.. 

3.00 

1.00 

Glycerin  _ _ _ 

.per  ounce.. 

.50 

2.75 

Small  sheet-iron  camping  stove  . . . 

35. 00 

Royal  baking  powder 

1.00 

.25 

Pepper  (2  ounces) _ 

.  25 

.20 

Rice  . . 

per  pound.. 

.20 

.25 

Nutmegs. . 

. . do _ 

4.00 

1.00 

Dried  fruits . . 

. .do _ 

.25 

2. 00 

Dried  tongue . . 

.  75 

Washboard . . 

2. 50 

1.00 

Common  broom _ 

1.50 

1.25 

Washtub  (galvanized  iron)... . 

4.00-5.00 

.50 

Common  laundry  soap _ 6  bars.. 

1.00 

1.00 

Clothespins . . . 

.per  dozen.. 

.25 

12.00 

Thread . 

. spool.. 

.25 

.15 

Needles . 

...package.. 

.25 

RELIEF  FOR  SUFFERING  MINERS. 

During  the  summer  just  passed  the  water  in  the  Yukon  River  reached  a  very- 
low  stage,  preventing  the  usual  steamer  transportation  along  the  mining  towns 
on  the  upper  courses  of  that  river.  Large  quantities  of  provisions  were  landed  by 
the  ocean  steamers  at  St.  Michael,  but  owing  to  the  inability  of  the  river  steamers 
to  ascend  the  river  these  supplies  could  not  bo  distributed  to  the  points  where 
they  were  needed;  consequently  as  the  close  of  navigation  approached  it  was  found 
that  the  miners  were  facing  the  long  arctic  winter  without  sufficient  supplies  of 
food.  The  destitution  was  so  great  that  a  call  was  made  upon  the  Government 
to  organize  relief.  Many  plans  were  suggested  to  the  Government.  After  weigh¬ 
ing  these  plans  it  was  found  that  the  only  possible  solution  was  to  take  the  rein¬ 
deer  trained  to  harness  that  were  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Michael  and  with 
them  freight  provisions  to  the  settlements  on  the  Yukon.  Hence  on  the  22d  of 
September  you  sent  to  William  A.  Kjellmann,  superintendent  of  the  Government 
herds  in  Alaska,  the  following  telegram: 

“By  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  Mr.  Kjellmann  will  assemble  at 
once  all  of  the  available  reindeer  trained  for  harness,  teamsters,  and  sleds,  and 
report  at  St.  Michael  to  Colonel  Randall  to  transport  supplies  to  Dawson  City  if 
necessary.  Obtain  all  deer  trained  to  harness  that  can  be  spared  from  Cape  Prince 
of  Wales,  Golovin  Bay,  and  Cape  Nome,  together  with  apprentices  trained  as 
teamsters  and  willing  to  go.  Promise  wages  to  all  teamsters.  Deer  borrowed 
from  other  stations  will  be  replaced.  Also  consult  the  United  States  commissioner 
at  St.  Michael. 

“W.  T.  Harris,  Commissioner." 

Upon  receiving  the  dispatch,  which  was  carried  by  way  of  ship  to  St.  Michael, 
Mr.  Kjellmann  at  once  secured  a  boat  and  crew  of  Eskimos,  which  he  sent  with  a 
copy  of  the  dispatch  to  Dr.  A.  N.  Kittilsen,  in  charge  at  the  Teller  Reindeer  Sta¬ 
tion.  Dr.  Kittilsen  was  directed  to  drive  the  herd  as  soon  as  possible  to  the  new 
station  established  on  theUnalaklik  River,  and  upon  his  arrival  there  placed  him¬ 
self  in  communication  with  Lieut.  Col.  G.  M.  Randall,  U.  S.  A.,  commanding 
United  States  military  post  at  St.  Michael.  Mr.  Kjellmann  also  ordered  the 
building  of  a  sufficient  number  of  sleds,  to  be  ready  upon  the  arrival  of  the  deer 
trained  to  harness.  These  deer,  operated  by  the  War  Department  from  St. 
Michael,  will  be  able  to  relieve  the  destitution  as  far  up  the  river  as  Rampart 
City  (1,075  miles  from  St.  Michael  by  the  mouth  of  the  river). 


EDUCATION  IN  ALASKA. 


1645 


These  arrangements  were  no  sooner  consummated  than  tidings  came  from  the 
Arctic  coast  of  Alaska  that  eight  whaling  vessels,  carrying  crews  aggregating 
about  400  men,  had  been  unexpectedly  caught  in  the  ice  and  the  men  were  in 
danger  of  starvation.  Many  plans  were  proposed  for  a  relief  expedition,  but,  as  in 
the  former  case,  it  was  found  that  no  plan  was  practicable  that  was  not  based 
upon  the  use  of  the  reindeer.  Accordingly  the  G-overnment,  on  the  16th  of 
November,  issued  orders  for  the  revenue  cutter  Bear  to  proceed  north  until  stopped 
by  ice,  then  to  make  a  determined  effort  to  send  Lieut.  D.  H.  Jarvis  and  two  or 
three  men  over  the  ice  to  the  mainland.  Having  effected  a  landing,  the  party  are 
to  proceed  to  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  secure  the  services  of  W.  T.  Lopp,  a  Congre¬ 
gational  missionary,  borrow  his  reindeer  herd  and  also  the  herd  belonging  to  a 
native  Eskimo  by  the  name  of  Antisarlook,  and  with  these  two  herds  proceed 
overland  500  or  600  miles  in  December  and  January  to  Point  Barrow,  or  until  the 
whalers  are  found  and  relief  afforded. 

As  the  season  advanced  the  accounts  of  the  shortage  of  food  in  the  Yukon  Val¬ 
ley  became  more  and  more  alarming,  and  on  the  18th  of  December  Congress  voted 
to  be  expended,  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  the  sum  of 
$200,000,  to  be  used  for  the  taking  of  relief  into  the  region  of  the  Upper  Yukon 
Valley.  As  the  reindeer  in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Michael  can  not  be  reached  at 
this  season  of  the  year  on  account  of  ice,  and  fresh  importations  can  not  be  made 
from  Siberia  on  the  same  account,  it  is  planned  to  send  to  Lapland,  procure  from 
500  to  600  reindeer  trained  to  harness  and  50  or  60  experienced  drivers,  transport 
them  across  the  Atlantic  to  New  York,  thence  across  the  continent  to  Seattle,  and 
from  Seattle  to  D.yea,  near  the  Cliilkoot  Pass  in  southeast  Alaska.  At  this  point 
arrangements  will  be  made  by  means  of  these  trained  deer  to  carry  provisions  to 
the  mining  camps  in  the  Upper  Yukon  Valley. 

Thus  when  an  exigency  arose  in  which  hundreds  of  men  were  threatened  with 
starvation  it  was  found  that  the  reindeer  furnished  the  onty  reasonable  plan  for 
the  relief  of  the  miners.  The  reindeer  are  a  necessity  for  the  development  of  the 
new  mines  and  the  supply  of  sufficient  food  for  the  miners.  The  more  rapidly 
domestic  reindeer  can  be  introduced  into  that  country  the  more  rapidly  new  sec¬ 
tions  can  be  visited  and  developed. 

In  conclusion,  I  desire  to  acknowledge  the  many  courtesies  received  from  the 
honorable  Secretary  of  the  Treasury;  Capt.  C.  F.  Shoemaker,  chief  of  Revenue- 
Cutter  Service;  Capt.  Francis  Tuttle,  commanding  cutter  Bear;  Capt.  W.  J.  Her¬ 
ring,  commanding  the  Corwin ,  together  with  officers  and  crews  of  both  vessels; 
also  the  North  American  Commercial  Company,  their  agents  in  Alaska,  and  Capt. 
J.  C.  Barr,  commanding  the  river  steamer  A  J.  Kelly ,  and  Captain  Kidtlson, 
commanding  the  steamer  Portland. 

Expenditure  of  reindeer  f  und. 


Year. 


1894. 

1895. 
1898. 
1897. 


An¬ 

nual 

ap- 

pro- 

pria- 

tion. 

Station 
sup¬ 
plies.  a 

Barter 
goods,  be 

Sala¬ 
ries  of 
rein¬ 
deer 
teach¬ 
ers. 

$6,000 

7,500 

7,500 

12,000 

$2, 284. 15 
3,811.83 
3, 177. 62 
4, 065. 28 

$2, 473. 41 
T,  767. 26 
1,348.43 
2, 610. 54 

$540. 58 
683. 80 

2, 982.20 

33,000 

13, 338. 88 

8, 199. 64 

4, 206. 58 

Freight 

Trav¬ 

eling 

ex¬ 

pen¬ 

ses. 

$1,450.71 

1,738.50 

$166  66 
200. 00 

3, 189. 21 

300. 00 

Print¬ 

ing. 


$150. 00 
236. 84 
267. 22 


Inci¬ 

den¬ 

tals. 


$127. 50 
5. 10 


Coal 

forU.S, 

reve¬ 

nue 

cutter 

Bear. 


$700. 00 
1,081  50 
1,050.00 


Value  station  property,  barter  goods,  and  supplies  on  hand  June  30,  1897. 

Total  cost  of  reindeer  in  Alaska  to  June  30, 1897 . 

# 

Cost  per  head  of  1,295  reindeer . . . 


Total 

ex 

pended. 


$5, 998. 14 
7, 494. 39 
7, 491.10 
11,868.84 


32,852.47 
6,817. 49 


Bal¬ 

ance. 


$1.86 

5.61 

8.90 

131.16 


147. 53 


26,034.98 


d  20. 10 


a  Supplies  at  station  consist  of  provisions  for  herders,  material  for  herders’  clothing,  coal, 
lumber,  hardware,  furniture,  tools,  guns,  ammunition,  boats,  tents,  medicines,  surgical  imple¬ 
ments,  medical  books. 

&  Barter  goods  in  stock  at  Teller  Reindeer  Station  were  transferred  to  new  reindeer  purchas¬ 
ing  station  at  St.  Lawrence  Bay,  Siberia,  August,  1897.  . 

c  In  all  traffic  in  the  arctic  region  barter  goods  are  used  in  lieu  of  money.  Money  is  useful 
only  where  there  are  markets  and  shops  with  stores  of  goods  on  sale.  Neither  Russian  money 
nor  the  money  of  any  other  nations  is  used  among  the  tribes  in  northeastern  Siberia,  nor  on  the 
Alaskan  coasts  opposite.  ,  ,  ,  ... 

dTliis  does  not  include  the  cost  of  the  171  reindeer  bought  with  barter  goods  purchased  with 
the  fund  of  $2,156  contributed  by  benevolent  individuals  in  1893. 


1646  EDUCATION  REPORT,  1896-97. 

Number  and  distribution  of  domestic  reindeer  in  Alaska  June  30,  1897. 


Location  of  herds. 

Old  deer. 

Fawns. 

Total. 

Government  herd,  Teller  Station,  Port  Clarence . 

343 

126 

469 

Cape  Nome  herd,  in  charge  of  native  Charlie . . . 

193 

85 

278 

Golovin  Bay  herd  (Swedish  mission) . . . 

70 

40 

110 

Golovin  Bav  herd  (for  Episcopal  mission) . . . 

69 

40 

109 

Cape  Prince  of  Wales  herd  (Congregational  mission) . 

243 

124 

367 

Tavotuk,  apprentice  at  Teller  Station —  . . . . . 

15 

11 

26 

Sekeogluk,  apprentice  at  Teller  Station . 

7 

5 

12 

Wocksock,  apprentice  at  Teller  Station . . . 

4 

2 

6 

Ahlook,  apprentice  at  Teller  Station . 

3 

2 

5 

Electoona,  apprentice  at  Teller  Station. . - . 

4 

3 

7 

Moses,  apprentice  at  Golovin  Bay.. . 

20 

11 

31 

Martin,  apprentice  at  Golovin  Bay . . . . . 

12 

7 

19 

Okitkon,  apprentice  at  Golovin  Bay . 

10 

5 

15 

Tatpan,  apprentice  at  Golovin  Bay. .  . 

7 

5 

12 

Total  .  .  ..  . . . . - 

1,000 

466 

1,466 

Increase  from  1892  to  1897. 


/ 

1892. 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

1896. 

Total  from  previous  year  _ 

143 

323 

492 

743 

Fawns  surviving  ..  _ _ _ 

79 

145 

276 

357 

Purchased  during  summer . . 

171 

124 

120 

123 

Total,  October  1 . . . 

171 

346 

588 

891 

1,100 

100 

Loss  . . . . . . 

28 

23 

96 

148 

Carried  forward . 

143 

323 

492 

743 

1,000 

1897. 


1,000 

466 


1,466 


Number  of  reindeer  that  have  been  lent  by  the  Government  to  missionary  societies  and  natives, 
the  Government  reserving  the  right  after  a  term  of  not  less  than  three  years  to  call  upon  the 
mission  station  or  individual  for  the  same  number  of  deer  as  composed  the  herd  loaned: 


Deer. 

August,  1894,  to  the  Congregational  Missionary  Society’s  Station  at  Cape  Prince  of  Wales.  118 

February,  1895,  to  Eskimo  Charlie  and  3  native  assistants.. . . . . .  112 

January  16,  1896,  to  the  Swedish  Mission  Station  at  Golovin  Bay .  50 

January  16,  1896,  to  the  St.  James  Episcopal  Mission  Station,  Yukon  River . .  50 


Total 


330 


WITHDRAWN  FOR  RELIEF  EXPEDITIONS. 

October,  1897,  withdrawn  from  the  Government  herd  at  Teller  Station  and  from  the  herds  at 
Golovin  Bay  from  100  to  200  deer  trained  to  harness  for  use,  if  necessary,  in  drawing  food  from 
St.  Michael  to  Dawson,  under  directions  of  Lieutenent-Colonel  Randall  at  St.  Michael. 

December,  1897,  for  the  relief  of  the  whalers  in  the  Arctic  Sea,  the  Cape  N ome  herd,  number¬ 
ing  278,  and  the  Cape  Prince  of  Wales  herd,  numbering  367,  to  be  under  the  direction  of  Lieut. 
D.  H.  Jarvis,  U.  S.  revenue  cutter  Bear ,  promising  to  make  good  those  borrowed  by  a  transfer 
from  the  Government  herd  during  the  summer  of  1898. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Sheldon  Jackson. 

Hon.  W.  T.  Harris,  LL.  D., 

Commissioner  of  Education ,  Washington,  D.  C. 


